John F. Blakeney

April 20th at 2:17 am, God called John F. Blakeney home to be with his family. "A cowboy's heart is light as a feather in all kinds of weather" (Cattle Call). Born March 16th, 1924, John Finley Blakeney grew up in humble beginnings on a small family farm in Sheridan Wyoming with his Father and Mother Claud and Margret Blakeney, twin brothers Clifford and Carlyle, and sister Adeline. The captivating beauty of the great outdoors, and the daily treks to his one room schoolhouse on his trusty horse Nell, would forge a lifelong admiration for cowboy art, western movies, music and a passion for being in nature. And of course, Mrs. Blakeney's unmatched home cooked meals, pies, jams, and juices insured no one drifted too far from home. After a divorce, John, Clifford, and their mother moved to Southern California. John entered and graduated from Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra along with life-long-friends Don Wade and Jack Wolf. Drafted in 1942, John was assigned to LST 483 as the ship's administrator in the Pacific theater. Early thoughts of high adventure were replaced by realities of war in rout to save a sister LST and crew struck by enemy fire. All that remained, was the same wooden desk he sat at every day, floating in the sea. Honorably discharged, he immediately took a job; again, thoughts of high adventure led him to purchase his first (of many) motorcycle, a four-cylinder Indian Chief. He immersed into the growing Los Angeles off-road motorcycle scene competing in the Green Horn, Big Bear, Catalina Grand Prix, and others. He enjoyed regular trail riding with his son, friends, and longtime pal Don Wade into his seventies. Knowledgeable and resourceful with his hands building and fixing projects he worked in trucking and settled into construction becoming a dedicated member and retiree of the California Operating Engineers Union. After retirement he began his own successful small trucking business. John's favorite thing was ice cream, which lead him to be knocked off his heals by his first love, Betty Jane Stuart at the ice cream parlor. They would be married thirteen years. John would later re-marry; however, eventually prefer living single. John could tell his family he loved and cared about them. He remained dedicated to raising his children and spending time with his grandchildren and extended family throughout his life. Other interest he shared with his family included Yosemite, travel, hiking, going to the movies, westerns, ice cream, photography, reading, writing poetry and music. And of course, more ice cream. In his later years, he would spend time visiting and eventually settling into Canton Ohio living with his son John, wife Lynn, children and his extended Ohio family. As he aged, he relied on numerous wonderful caretakers who visited his home, made sure he was safe, clean and who would transport him to Pete's and Gregory's restaurants for meals. When John could no longer live at home, he moved to St. Joseph's Senior Living in Louisville Ohio where he received nothing short of superior loving care by all of their professionals through his final days on earth (even when behaving "salty"). He often said much he appreciated all of you! He was an occasional prankster with a dry sense of humor and raiser-sharp "one-liners" to the day he died. He was asked hours before his passing if he needed anything, he rubbed his fingers together, his symbol for "cash". John was preceded in death by Christine Griffin (step-daughter) and survived by son-in-law Thomas Griffin, daughters Diane Adelmund and Suzanne Blakeney, son John T. and daughter-in-law Lynn Blakeney, nieces Beth Skillern, Carolyn Hamm, Cheryl Roberts. Also, his grandchildren and great grandchildren and spouses: Michael and Rosie Adelmund, Gretchen and Johnny Giles, Rachel and Josh Bryant, Heidi and Lucas Anderson, Trace, Carter, Addison, Avery, Finley, Andrew, Boston, Easton, and Sutton. Ohio - Sally Larke, Laura Larke, Leslie Siebert, Jerry and Susie Larke, Mike and Lisa Gursky. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to St. Joseph Senior Living or The Wounded Worrier Project.