James Blanchard

James Clark (“Jim”) Blanchard, 86, of Pecos passed away Wednesday March 15, 2023 in Odessa, Texas.

Services will be held at 10:00 AM Thursday March 23rd at Pecos Funeral Home Chapel, 607 West 3rd Street Pecos, Texas, with Reverend Jim Miles officiating. Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery.

Jim was born on August 21, 1936 in Chicago, Illinois to Robert Oliver Blanchard and Anna Maureen Blanchard. He was the oldest of three children. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Michael Dennis Blanchard of Alpine, Texas and his sister Leslie Blanchard of San Marcos, Texas.

Jim was married July 19, 1958 to Lenora Zerelda Kelly Blanchard, who preceded him in death on April 14, 2008. They had four children Robert Martin (“Bobby”) Blanchard of Ft. Stockton, Texas, Kelly Maureen Noland of Midland, Texas, Lisa Lynn St. John of Midland, Texas and Tanya Kay Kiehne (husband Zane Kiehne) of Pecos, Texas.

Jim is survived by ten grandchildren and step grandchildren (Jennifer Blankenship, Valerie Garcia, Jessica Bragg, Oliver Noland, Christopher Velasquez, Andre Varela, Joseph Rodriquez, Emily Owens, Tess Adkins, Jeff Kiehne) and fifteen great grandchildren and several nephews and nieces, including Michael Blanchard and Lenora Gulihur.

In 1956, Jim graduated from Lincoln Park High School in Lincoln Park, Michigan when he was almost 20. Jim took a couple years off from school, worked for Fleetwood Cadillac’s auto assembly plant in Detroit, Michigan, then returned to school and graduated. Jim was an excellent swimmer and as a member of his high school swim team, he set school records that he held for many decades.

Jim moved to Pecos, Texas in 1956 with his parents, when they purchased the Lazy F Motel on East 3rd Street. Soon after moving to Pecos, he met Lenora Kelly and instantly knew she was who he was going to marry. Lenora was the love of his life and they were married for 50 years prior to her passing.

In 1956, Jim went to work for Junker John, a scrap dealer in Pecos, then worked on a pipeline construction job in Orla, Texas and later worked for Industrial Communications. In 1961, Jim and Johnny Billeiter purchased Industrial Communications of Pecos and formed Pecos Radio Dispatch. They sold these businesses in 2002 and retired.

Jim was highly intelligent and was self-educated in electronics, mechanics, machining, wood working, and in many other fields. and was a craftsman who could build, rebuild or repair anything. He was a perfectionist and anything he built was top notch. Jim built his home on Duval Highway, including much of the furniture in it, built his barn, his shop and many grandfather clocks, restored pianos, and even built an airplane, N1YX, which won several air show’s best of show awards. Jim raised Arabian horses and planted a pecan and pistachio orchard.

Jim was an adrenaline junkie, a pilot who loved acrobatic flying and, on several occasions, flew under the Del Rio Bridge. Jim owned motorcycles, a Jaguar, a Porsche 911, a Porsche 930, dune buggies, para sails, ultralight airplanes and had a few close calls. He crashed a motorcycle in Mexico, another chasing jack rabbits, crashed an ultralight airplane, survived lung cancer, a fall from a ladder and totaled a car when hit by a train. He was a member of search and rescue as a scuba diver, helped seal off underwater caves at Balmorhea and made many trips to Mexico to dive with and without scuba gear. He had lots of affection and love for his grandchildren, his nephew and niece. He loved the ocean and seafood. Jim was very charming, had a huge personality and was very witty. Jim will be missed by many.

The family requests in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the West of the Pecos Museum.