Don 'The Mechanic' Blanchard, 45

Don "The Mechanic" Blanchard, 45, passed away at his home in Hayden on Dec. 25, 2010.

Don was born in Suffern, N.Y., on June 4, 1965, to Bill and Diane (McPhillips) Blanchard. Don was raised in Huntington Beach, Calif., where he graduated from Huntington Beach High School. He attended DeVry Technical Institute in Pheonix, Ariz., and moved to Post Falls in 1993. He settled in Hayden in the mid-90s, where he established his business, "The Mechanic."

Don married Gayle Membury on Dec. 30, 1994, at St. George's Catholic Church in Post Falls.

He was a member of I.A.T.N., President of the Napa Care Center Business Development Group, and enjoyed hunting, snowmobiling, four-wheeling, boating, golfing, building model airplanes and cooking. He will be most remembered for his sense of humor, generosity and love for his family, friends and customers.

Don is survived by his wife, Gayle of Hayden; two children: Thomas R. Armstrong and Shannon R. Armstrong, both of Hayden; granddaughter Avery Armstrong of Hayden; mother Diane Blanchard of Post Falls; sisters, Michele Ingram of Nairobi, Kenya, and Bridgette Baker of Hayden; uncle Martin McPhillips of New York; aunts, Susan Festa of Oregon and Cena Marino of California; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and other extended family members.

Don is preceded in death by his father, Bill Blanchard; brother Shawn Blanchard and his niece, Alexandra Baker.

The Blanchard Family Memorial Fund has been set up at Mountain West Bank.

A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, at St. Thomas Catholic Church in Coeur d'Alene. A reception will follow at the St. Thomas Center. English Funeral Chapel, Coeur d'Alene, is in charge of the arrangements.

Please sign Don's guest registry and view his online memorial at www.englishfuneralchapel.com.