Tommy Alfred Blankenship

Tommy A. Blankenship, 66, of Hanover, completed the journey that God had laid for him before the foundations of the earth. He went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, August 27, 2015. Through Tommy’s faith in his Savior, he displayed His grace and glory with the world. He was an inspiration to loved ones and complete strangers alike. Tommy accepted God’s will, even when His will was hard to understand. Living in His will was the only place he cared to be. If you knew Tommy before this illness, you knew of his strong work ethic and his generous heart. You knew of his strong-will and friendly demeanor. Throughout this illness, Tommy was a fighter and took every prognosis with a grain of salt, knowing that God would decide his fate. Tommy viewed every day as a gift. We can only hope to live with this type of deliberate appreciation for every moment we are afforded on this earth. His life on Earth may have come to an end, but his eternal life is only beginning. In a time when all we feel is sadness and loss, let us not forget that Tommy is rejoicing. We are so thankful for our Daddy and the footprints he left for us and others in this world. Tommy was a jack of all trades, but master of one (Papaw). He lived his life for his grandbabies and enjoyed teaching them new things. Tommy was born November 2, 1948 in Hanover, West Virginia, son to the late Alfred & Suella (King) Blankenship. Left to cherish his memory is his wife, best friend of 47 years, and high school sweetheart Frieda (England). They loved each other through every obstacle that life threw their way. He is survived by son Tommy Jr, his wife Tonya and their two children Thomas & Hannah; daughter Felicia, her husband Duane and their three children Brady, Lindsay & Lucas; brothers Johnny (Doris); Douglas (Sandra); William (Pat); sisters Sheila Peters (Ed); Patsy Kerley (Tim); Lisa Dowell (Rhyne); Teri McDonald (Gene); adoring cousins, loving in-laws, nieces, nephews, great nieces/nephews and many long-time friends. He is preceded in death by his sister Karen Morrison; niece Ashley Kilpatrick and nephew Jerry Morrison. A celebration of Tommy’s life with family and friends will be held on Saturday, September 5th at 3pm at Hanover Missionary Baptist Church at the intersection of Route 52 and Route 97 in Hanover, WV. The family will receive friends from 2-3 PM Saturday at the church. A private burial will follow at a later date. You may send online condolences and sign the online guest book by visiting blueridgefuneralhome.com Blue Ridge Funeral Home of Beckley is serving the Blankenship Family