H. Blank Obituary

Horace Richard (Dick) Blank passed away in Anacortes, Washington at the age of 96. A longtime geologist and geophysicist, he was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and loyal friend.

Dick was born in New York, the middle child of Horace and Marjorie (Ferguson) Blank. Soon after, the family moved to Texas, where he was raised with his two sisters, Emily and Nancy. The freedom to roam the wide open spaces of his childhood sparked a lifelong love of outdoor exploration and adventure.

An avid learner, Dick accelerated through school and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas at the age of 19. He left home and headed West to pursue graduate studies first at UCLA and then at the University of Washington. Those plans were interrupted by the Korean War; Dick joined the U.S. Marines and proudly served in Korea. He cherished the Marine Corps brotherhood for the rest of his life. Following his military service, Dick spent two years hitchhiking and working his way around the world with a friend. He helped pay for their travels by co-writing a series of adventure columns for the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin.

Returning to his studies, Dick completed an MS in Physics and a PhD in Geology at the University of Washington in Seattle. He won a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to Victoria University in Wellington (VUW) and moved to New Zealand. While there he served as Chief Geologist on the 1960-61 VUW Antarctic Expedition, where Blank Peaks were named in his honor.

In the fall of 1961, Dick returned to the United States and began a 34-year career with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), with an interlude as a professor at the University of Oregon in Eugene. His USGS work took him around the Western United States and across the globe, based out of offices in Denver, Colorado; Menlo Park, California; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and Spokane, Washington. He leaves a lasting legacy in the geosciences, both through his expertise in gravity and magnetics and also as a mentor to many geoscientists who follow in his wake.

Dick was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He married Virginia Glee (née Perkins) in Rotorua, New Zealand, on January 1, 1960. Their love story began at the University of Washington and blossomed over more than six decades. Together they built a loving home, raised three children, and traveled the world.

Dick is survived by his wife, Glee, their children (Jennifer Blank & Patrick Dobson; Barbara & Stewart Bieler; and Eric & Beth Blank), and five grandchildren (Stephanie, Charles, & Andrew Bieler, and Elizabeth & Gavin Blank). He is also survived by his sisters, Emily Louise Bonwich and Nancy Allen Kaesler.

He will be remembered for his gentle nature, infectious laugh, legendary bear hugs, and boundless curiosity. He was special in so many ways. He will be deeply missed and forever beloved.

Please bookmark this direct link to his memorial site at Evans: www.evanschapel.com/obituary/dick-blank for future visits.