BLANDFORD, Dale

Dale Blandford, 70, of Gisela, Arizona, passed away on Independence Day, July 4th, 2003 at Hospice of the Valley in Mesa, Arizona. Dale was one who never gave up and battled brain tumors to the very end for his family. Dale was born in Shamrock, Texas and grew up in Portales, New Mexico. After high school, he served in the US Army during the Korean War, receiving numerous honors. He then attended college and received Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Eastern New Mexico University. Dale was a very intellectual man receiving a Shell Fellowship scholarship to Stanford University as well as two National Science Foundation scholarships to San Jose State University and Utah State University. After college, Dale moved to Clovis, New Mexico where he taught mathematics at Gattis Jr. High and in 1966, moved his family to Mesa, Arizona. For many years, Dale taught higher level mathematics at Kino Jr. High, Westwood High, and Mesa Community College. Dale spent the last seventeen years working along side his son, Jeff Blandford. Together they built Blandford Homes into one of the most highly regarded home building firms in the country, earning the J.D. Powers and Associates Highest Customer Service Award five years in a row. Mr. Blandford is survived by his wife of seventeen years, Marie Blandford; his former wife and mother of his four children, Bonnie Blandford; his daughter, Cheryl Skornik; his sons, Rick Blandford, Jeff Blandford, and Evan Blandford; his step-children, Valerie Davis, Susan Rahlf, and Rich Kubat; three sisters, five brothers, and sixteen grandchildren. Dale's high moral standards were only outweighed by his great pride in his family. A memorial service with military honors will be held at 2:00pm, July 11th 2003, Terrace Green Event Center at View Point RV Park, 650 North Hawes Road, Mesa, Arizona, 85207. (480) 373-4444. The family requests contributions to be made to: The Foundation for Cancer Research and Education, 300 West Clarendon, Suite 350, Phoenix, Arizona, 85013. Arrangements made by: Mountain View Memorial Gardens 7900 East Apache Trail, Mesa, AZ 85207. (480) 832-2850. Published in the Arizona Republic from 7/10/2003 - 7/11/2003.