John Blakslee

John Allen Blakslee, 88, of Concord, VT died Thursday, August 12,2021 at Concord (NH) Hospital.  John was born January 18,1933 in Whitefield, NH at the Morrison Hospital to Herbert and Claribel (Curtis) Blakslee.

Growing up on the Blakslee farm in Dalton, NH, John attended Dalton Grade School and later went to Lancaster High School. He finished his last 2 years of schooling at the St. Johnsbury Trade School, graduating in 1950.

He served in the US Air Force from May 13,1953 thru May 14,1957 being held over for a day to help fight a forest fire in that year. He received basic training in Geneva, New York and then went to Radar Training School in Biloxi, Mississippi.  He served first at Caswell Radar Station in Limestone, Maine and was then transferred to North Concord Radar Base aka East Haven Radar Base. He served with men monitoring air traffic, tracking the blips on a radar screen earning them the nickname “scope dopes”.

During off times, the young men from the base in East Haven, in their dress blues, would go to Val’s Green Mountain Lodge in Concord, VT. This was a place to eat, dance, play pool, and meet girls. During one of these outings, he met Edna Gadapee.  They dated for some time and eventually married on May 30, 1957. They moved to a home on Main Street in Concord, VT in 1963, where he would remain for the rest of his life.

He first worked for Swift and then as a meat cutter/manager at Grand Union, from where he retired in 1991. After retirement, he continued to work part time for Grand Union as a meat manager for many years traveling to their various stores.

During his earlier working years, he remained a faithful son and brother, helping out on weekends at the family farm during haying season or whenever help was needed.

He enjoyed fishing and hunting. He had many good times playing cards at his good friend Harold “Chick” Morton’s camp and also at his nephews’ camp known as the “The Dalton Hilton”. He also frequented his sister Ida’s camp at Forest Lake for rousing games of “scat”.

For many years after retirement his hobby was building picnic tables and Adirondack chairs for adults and children. He liked to refer to himself as “Chairman of the Board”.

John was predeceased by his parents and siblings, Berta Holden; Ralph Blakslee; Charles Blakslee; and Marjorie Couturier;

He is survived by his children Brian Blakslee and wife Linda of Concord, VT and Lori Mann and husband Robert of Littleton, NH; Grandchildren; Michael Blakslee, Christina Roberts (Vince), Amber Mann, Melissa Colongeli (Chris), Felicia Reney (Tyler), Great-grandchildren; Christian, Angelina, Allyson, Caroline and Camden; Siblings Eva Lavoie of Littleton, NH, Robert Blakslee of NH and Florida and Ida Lou Blakslee of Forest Lake and Florida, and many nieces and nephews.

A graveside service will be held at the Johns River Cemetery in Dalton NH Saturday, August 28th at 11:00AM with lunch to follow at the old Dalton Town Hall.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Dalton Congregational Church, c/o Helen Holmes, 485 Blakslee Road, Dalton, NH 03598

Memories and condolences may be shared at www.guibordfh.com