Thomas Ralph Blackburn, 96, of Oxford, PA passed away on Saturday September 24, 2022 at home. He was the husband of Margaret “Peggy” Sumner Blackburn with whom he shared 72 years of marriage. Born in Oval, NC he was the son of the late Donald and Alsey Phillips Blackburn. After graduating from Oxford High School in 1944, he worked on the family dairy farm until October 1952 when he left farming to work for Chrysler Corporation. He was a hardworking man who retired from Chrysler in 1988 after 36 years of service. After retirement, Ralph and Peg enjoyed traveling and visiting with their family, and especially on Bob Neff Tours where they enjoyed meeting new people and making friends. He looked forward to family beach vacations, and their winter trips in Florida. His hobbies included making wooden crafts and caning chairs and repairing old ones. People would travel for hours to have Ralph either fix or replace their chairs for them. He was a member of the Oxford Church of the Nazarene since 1946 and served in many areas, including Assistant Sunday School Superintendent, Sunday School teacher, Church Board member, Counting Committee, and Buildings and Properties Committee. Through the Nazarene Church, Ralph and Peg traveled on four Work and Witness trips to Kenya, Switzerland, Brazil, and Belize.
He will be remembered for many things by many people; he was Dad, Uncle Ralph, and Pop-Pop. He enjoyed attending his grandchildren and great-granddaughter’s sporting events, such as baseball games, softball games, football games, and wrestling matches. He was a man who loved God, loved his church, and loved his family. He will be missed by many people and by those who knew him. He was a man of few words, with a gentle spirit, and a friend to anyone who knew him. He is survived by his wife Peggy; two daughters, Gayle Brantner (Bill) of Oxford and Janice Mentzer of Sharpsburg, MD; one brother, Robert Blackburn (Martha) of Oxford, PA; five grandchildren, Billy (Jessica) of Martinsburg, WV, Cole (Samantha) of Oxford, PA, Sabrina Amoriello of Oxford, PA, Jathan and Hayden Mentzer of Sharpsburg, MD; six great-granddaughters, Layla, Savannah, Emmalyn, Natalie, Laurel, and Jolie; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a brother, William Blackburn (JoAnn) of Oxford, PA and his son-in-law, Heath Mentzer of Sharpsburg, MD. Funeral services will be held 11 am Saturday, October 1, 2022 at the Oxford Church of the Nazarene, 116 E Locust St, Oxford, PA 19363, where friends and family may visit from 9:30 – 11 am. Interment will be in Oxford Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Oxford Church of the Nazarene Missions Department. Arrangements by the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc., Oxford, PA. On line condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com Comments are closed.
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