William Raymond Blanchard

During his childhood he loved baseball and played the game every chance he had.

Beginning at age nine, he had many jobs in order to help with household expenses, including delivery boy (on his bike) from the local grocery store, attendant, soda jerk and delivery boy at the local drug store, newspaper delivery boy. And a lot of snow shoveling in those days.

Off to a great start he joined the army directly after High School, serving during the Korean War times. During that time he was stationed in France and California, saw much of the world traveling to and from. He loved his time in the Army and would not hesitate to tell anyone who would listen about it and how he saw the world and always encouraging the young to consider joining up to serve their country.

Directly after military service he joined Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in Hartford, Ct. where it did not take long for him to become the youngest supervisor they ever had. He wore many hats during his time at Pratt. Got married to Stella Fritz and had two children, Denise and William Jr., who passed away in 2006.

He and his family subsequently moved to Florida to join the Florida R&D of Pratt Whitney in 1971. As his career moved upward, he was in Process Planning for many of these years, a sheet metal foreman and a supervisor of the F22 Reverse Nozzle team where he became quite the expert and was sent to solve many developmental problems in Europe, California, New York.

Shortly after settling in Florida he remarried Judith Palmer in 1978 and continued working at P&WA until retiring in 1990. Then he returned as an independent contractor for a few more years until 1996.

His remaining years after retiring were spent in enjoying and fixing up two retirement homes, one on the Suwannee River and one in Fontana, in the mountains in western North Carolina, and finally settling back in Port Saint Lucie Fl.

Bill's hobby was creative projects around the home and he did lots of family boating during his lifetime. Day trips, week-end trips and long Intra Coastal trips lasting 3-4 weeks. He liked to take short and long road trips around Florida just to see every nook and corner of the state.

Survivors are his wife, Judith, daughter, Denise Proulx, Grand Son, Joe Proulx of Orlando, Fl., Grand daughters, Christina Oldfield and Carina Proulx of Colorado Springs area, Great Grand sons,

Gavin Proulx of Orlando, Fl, Trent and Trevor Turban of Colorado Springs, Kelvin, Joshue, Jovanni, and Avianna Garcia of Colorado Springs, Korren Proulx of Orlando, Fl. and great great grand son, Benjamin Perez also of Orlando.

He also is survived by his step children to which he helped raise and became endeared; Jennifer Beyer, Robert Sullivan Jr, of Port Saint Lucie, Fl, Christopher Sullivan, and grandchildren, Grant Sullivan, of Royal Palm and Brenden Beyer of the US Navy in Great Lakes, Ill.

Also he leaves 3 dogs and several cats accumulated with love through the years who will miss him dearly especially at eating time and nap times.

Bill was certainly a fun-loving happy Soul, good to be around. Full of love and mischief and always ready to lend an encouraging word or a helping hand.

William or Bill would be the first to tell you he loved every bit of his lifetime and would like to come back and do it all over again. What more can a person say? Let's all hope that he gets to do what he wants.

May the blessings be