11/13/1933 - 6/29/2010
Pilot, Husband, Father, Musician, Veteran
Sadly we lost Bill Blanchard in an automobile accident on Tuesday June 29th. Bill was traveling North on Benson in his pick up, when he was struck by a car running the red light at Baseline. The driver that hit Bill was fleeing the Claremont Police in a stolen car.
Bill was a very important part of the success of Cable Airport. As Airport Planning Director since the mid 1980’s, Bill applied for and supervised the FAA Grant Projects. Bill wrote the first Airport Master Plan and is the leader in that plan’s continuing update, going on now. Bill was overseeing the 14th FAA Grant, still in the planning stages.
Bill graduated Pomona College in 1955 with a BA in Music and in 1956 from the Eastman School of Music with his MA in Music. Bill was drafted soon after and spent his Army days arranging music for the 8th Army Band in Seoul Korea. Bill taught math and music at Chaffey College for many years and is well known and loved for his current musical projects throughout the Inland Empire.
You may not have known Bill, but you may have known his family. You may know Mike Hartman, Bill's step-son, who has worked at Foothill Aircraft as a Mechanic for many years. You may know Mike’s mom and Bill’s wife, Arlene, who has been a local business merchant in the Beauty Salon trade for many years in the Southland Our airport world is small and the strings that bind us together are very short.
Memorial Services for William Briggs Blanchard will be held on Saturday, July 10, 2010 at 11:15 am at the First United Methodist Church of Upland, 262 N. Euclid Ave., Upland, CA 91786
"WORLD'S LARGEST FAMILY-OWNED, PUBLIC-USE AIRPORT"