Charles L. "Chuck" Blankenship Obituary (1939 - 2023)

Charles L. "Chuck" Blankenship age 84 of Bloomington, IL passed away at 4:40 PM on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, at Heritage Health, Bloomington, IL. A masonic service for Chuck will be held at 1:00 PM Thursday, February 2, 2023, at Calvert & Metzler Memorial Home with his funeral service to follow. The Rev. Wayne Giermann will be officiating. Burial will be at Chenoa Twp. Cemetery, Chenoa, IL. Visitation will be 11:00 AM-1:00 PM Thursday, February 2, 2023, at the memorial home. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials be made to Shriners Hospital and The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Chuck was born January 6, 1939, in Pontiac, IL, the son of Marvin and Annie Hale Blankenship. He married Judith Brandt on January 12, 1959. Surviving are his 3 children, Rev. Keith Blankenship, Bonfield, IL, Janine (William) Halm, Bloomington, IL, Eric (Mary) Blankenship, Bloomington IL, 8 grandchildren, Kristen Blankenship, Champaign, IL, Levana (Katie) Blankenship, Bloomington, IL Joel Blankenship, LeRoy, IL, Alyssa (Aaron) Curtis, Bloomington, IL, Shannon Halm, Gibson City, IL, Jordan (Mikah) Halm, Algonquin, IL, Paige Blankenship, Bloomington, IL, Brett Blankenship, Peoria, IL, 6 great-grandchildren, Abigail, Kolton, Raelynn, Brinley, Indie and Boston, 1 sister, Jean Stenger, Clearfield, Utah and a special friend, Rose Larkin, Bloomington, IL. Chuck is preceded in death by his parents, grandson, Jesse Blankenship, brother, James Blankenship, sisters, Dorothy Miller, Thelma Shoup, and Virginia Morrissey, and a very close friend Shirley Shafer. Chuck graduated from Chenoa High School in 1956. He worked with his brother Jim at Pontiac Granite Company and later moved to Bloomington, IL in 1959. Chuck worked at Montgomery Ward in Bloomington, IL and in November of 1962 he started his career as an agent with Prudential Insurance Company. His distinguished career with Prudential lasted for over 50 years. Many of his clients became close friends. For service to his customers, Chuck earned many trips and was inducted into the Prudential Hall of Fame in 1993. Chuck enjoyed traveling, driving throughout the United States. He especially enjoyed visiting his sisters in Utah and California. He was particularly fond of meeting them in Las Vegas, where he spent many winters in his later years. He was a life member of Bloomington Lodge 43 AF & AM, Bloomington Scottish Rite Bodies and Mohammed Temple Shrine of Peoria. He was a member of the Bloomington Tin Lizzie Patrol, participating in numerous parades in the 1970's and 80's. Chuck sponsored children for treatment at the Shriners Hospital, Chicago. He was a loving father, brother, and Papa B to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He will be missed by all who knew him. Please view the obituary and share your condolences and memories online at www.calvertmemorial.com