Glen Edward Blanchard

The big man has left the building. He left his shop tidy and neat, with all the tools back in their proper place; but for the first time in his recorded history, he left a few things on the “to-do” list un-done.

Glen was larger than life. From his laugh to his hair, from opinions to the size of his heart; Glen was a force to be reckoned with. He always left an impression. In 1990, he made a big impression on a certain person and after 16 years of each daring the other to get married, he finally trapped the love of his life. Glen and Sherry married Sept. 11, 2006. Their vows were exchanged in a Doctor Seuss themed wedding on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint, Idaho.

Glen, (preferred one “n” please,) was born in Denver, Colo., to Myrth McGrath and Robert Blanchard. Glen’s parents divorced when he was a young child and Glen divided his life between summers at Sedlmayers Resort in Spirit Lake with Myrth, and school months in Denver with Robert.

The family business was road construction. Blanchard Brothers construction built most of the interstate in Wyoming and Colorado. Glen worked in the highway business as a teenager and because he didn’t want to be seen as the “bosses kid,” was right down in the ditches, with shovel (“misery spoon” as he called it), pick and hoe. He could relate great stories, (most not appropriate for family gatherings,) and sayings he picked up from the plain-speaking, hard-living men who ran the equipment and shovels. Glen always said the aroma of asphalt in the early morning was one of his favorite scents.

Glen made a decision in his early 20s that Coeur d’Alene felt most like home, so he came one summer and stayed on. He worked a variety of jobs — from saw mill green chain, the Coeur d’Alene Water Company, (this is where early shovel training really paid off), tug boat hand for the Murphy family and bar manager for various locations in Coeur d’Alene and the Silver Valley. He also spent a few years with the Cedars Corporation as a bartender or manager for Kennewick, Wash., Clarkston, Wash., and the good ol’ “floater” in Coeur d’Alene.

After helping a friend fix up a rental property in Denver, Glen found his niche. He strapped on his tool belt and went to work for himself as Blanchard’s Repair. He also plowed snow in the winter months, knowing women didn’t want projects going in the house through the fall and winter holidays. A guy, he said, has to make a living. He rose at 4 a.m. every snowy morning, firing up the ol’ “Blue Ox” and down the road he’d go. Glen cleared lots, driveways and sidewalks for business and residents alike. Often commenting he saw a lot of Coeur d’Alene from his rearview mirror.

Glen was famous for his dedication to perfection on every project. From tiling bathrooms to basement finishes, sagging decks to flooded basements, leaky ceilings, dry wall, you name it, he could fix it, and he did. It was often joked that Glen never lost a customer if they sold the home. Eventually, a call would come from the new owner saying, “I was told you were the guy to call.”

In the mid-2000s a new business opportunity arose, one that didn’t require plowing snow or jamming his body into a crawlspace. Blanchard’s Industrial Repair put him on the road, prowling five states, fixing paint equipment in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon and Washington. As his business grew, he formed relationships with other contractors in the same field and created a sort of confederation. This enabled him to gradually slow down a bit and ease up on the joints that had begun to give him some flak.

Glen just wasn’t all work and no play; he and Sherry enjoyed road trips in the Canadian Rockies to visit the various hot springs with the town and baths at Nakusp, B.C., being a particular favorite. Up and down the coast from Vancouver Island, B.C., to Bandon, Ore., Glen and Sherry explored the Pacific Northwest. Glen loved to take photographs, with flowers being one of his favorite subjects, but mountains, rivers and the odd mountain goat also found their way into the lens.

Glen collected pocket knives, art, friends and hearts. He was a loyal friend and neighbor. Always ready to lend a tool and tell you how to use it. He was plain spoken and forthright. You always knew what he thought, sometimes before you even asked. He could be blunt, but he didn’t go out of his way to hurt people. It was just his way. Sherry frequently told him tact was really a thing and he should give it a try. Sherry would warn people to not ask for his opinion unless they were prepared to hear the hard truth. Glen handled the truth like he did his hammer. Firmly.

Glen genuinely cared about people; he made friends of all ages and children in particular seemed drawn to him. Glen never had any kids of his own, but at gatherings involving children he could usually be found pinned in his chair by hordes of toddlers, all battling for lap time, telling him tales and to touch his hair. All the springiness was fascinating. He built toys, cradles, step stools, blocks and cardboard box houses the likes no one had ever seen.

Glen served as a mentor to many, but his nephew, Ben, was his particular pride. They spent many hours on the road, fixing paint shakers, plowing snow, remodeling homes around Coeur d’Alene, or in the shop building things together. “Build her hell for stout, pretty always takes care of herself.” Work nights would often end with glasses of bourbon poured “two fingers, not two fingers” while Glen taught Ben the finer points of preparing a meal for family, a passion they continued to share and discuss on a regular basis.

After all those years of hard work, Glen decided it was time to retire and in 2018 a home in Dallas, Ore., was purchased, the Coeur d’Alene home he lavished so much care and attention to every detail, was sold, and the shaker business traveled to Oregon.

Sept. 3, 2019, with the shaker business sold, Glen finally became a gentleman of leisure. Immediately, he rebuilt the kitchen, added a tiled gas fireplace surround, and completely rehabbed a '70s era bathroom, a beautiful shop, and a deck for cocktails in the evening. He worked slower than he “usta” and he needed help a lot more than before, but he got it done. He and Sherry and their sidekick, Rocky, went to the beach and took slow hikes in the woods for photos. They both enjoyed the local wineries in the Willamette Valley and looked forward to many more years together.

Unfortunately, things don’t always work out the way you plan and on Sept. 27, 2020, Glen left us. Our hearts are broken. Ever a man of few words, he kept the most important ones to himself, except to tell Sherry he loved her.

Glen is preceded in death by his mother, Myrth; father Robert and brother Palmer “Pepper” Blanchard.

Glen is survived by his wife and co-conspirator, Sherry Bullard-Blanchard, of Dallas; his nephew, Ben M. Blanchard and his wife, Nikki, of Phoenix, Ariz.; stepdaughter, Annabelle Farley of Hayden, Idaho; and grandchildren, Amelia and Gabriel. He leaves behind countless friends and neighbors, old and new. Also, a stubborn little bulldog named Rocky misses him very much.

Typical of Glen, he didn’t want a memorial service. Small gatherings may take place in the future as time and COVID permit. Please just pour yourselves your drink of choice and toast him on his way. The keys are on the bar, it’s our world now.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Willamette Valley Humane Society in care of Dallas Mortuary Tribute Center, 287 SW Washington St., Dallas, OR 97338, who is caring for the family.

To leave an online condolence or share a memory for the family go to www.dallastribute.com.