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Richard Eldon Blanchard ’56

September 4, 2020, in Oroville, Washington, from pulmonary fibrosis.

Richard was born in Tacoma, Washington, where he graduated from Lincoln High School. He attended Reed and the University of Puget Sound before concluding his education at the University of Washington Dental School. He practiced dentistry in Lakewood and East Wenatchee, Washington, and in Quesnel, British Columbia. He also served in the Army Reserve dental corps. He was married to Margaret Cluchey and they had two daughters, Jennifer and Anne Marie.

An avid outdoorsman, Richard loved to hunt, fish, and share adventures with Margaret. They moved to a ranch in British Columbia and raised Black Angus cattle. They each obtained a pilot’s license and then purchased a float plane. Family adventures involved camping and fishing trips at places not reachable by other vehicles. In 1980, the family moved back to the United States  due to increasingly severe winter weather and to be closer to aging parents. When their daughters went off to college, they travelled extensively throughout the United States and Canada. When Richard retired from his dental practice, they built their dream log home in Okanogan and were able to just walk outside to go fishing. He is survived by his wife of 55 years and his two daughters.

Appeared in Reed magazine: March 2021

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