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Gregory Arthur Blanchard

BLANCHARD, GREGORY ARTHUR - It is with incredible sadness that we announce the loss of Gregory Arthur Blanchard, 73, on August 25, 2012, at the QEII Health Sciences Centre, in Halifax, after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. Born in Dalhousie, New Brunswick, he was the son of the late Leo and Mary (Lawler) Blanchard. In 1957, Greg graduated from Dalhousie Regional High School, where he was an outstanding basketball player, and remained in Dalhousie working for the Bank of Montreal. He attended Saint Francis Xavier University and graduated in 1964 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, and later with a Bachelor of Education degree. Greg worked with INCO in Thompson, Manitoba from 1961 to 1963, returned to Antigonish to complete his degree, began working for CIL in Montreal in 1964 and transferred to Halifax in 1967. In 1969, Greg began teaching at the Nova Scotia Eastern Institute of Technology, in Sydney, NS, where he became actively involved in the Nova Scotia Government Employees Association, first on local committees and then as the secretary-treasurer on the Association's executive. In 1980 he was elected as the part-time president of the Association and in 1981, the Association became the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union and Greg was elected the NSGEU's first full-time president, moved to Dartmouth, NS with his family, and was elected to six subsequent two-year terms. It was a position he held with great pride and dedication until his retirement in 1994. Greg summered in Ingonish at the family cottage, was an avid golfer, loved to fish and hunt, and enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. He also spent time in North Redington Beach, Florida, over the last 20 years, where he made many lifelong friends. Along with Anne, his wife of 46 years, Greg is survived by daughters, Seana Blanchard and Anita (Blanchard) MacLeod; sons-in-law, Jeff MacLeod and Glen MacIsaac; grandson, Gregor MacLeod; granddaughters, Lea MacLeod, Ella MacIsaac, and Lilah MacIsaac; brother, Jimmy (Doneva) Blanchard; sister, Jane (Lester) Sutton; brothers-in-law, Brian (Margie) Curtis, and Redmond (Rosella) Curtis; and many nephews, nieces, and great friends. Greg was predeceased by his parents, Leo and Mary Blanchard; sister, Catherine (John) Moore; brother, Tommy (Mae) Blanchard; and most recently, his only son, Liam Blanchard. Special thanks to Dr. Daniel Rayson, Dr. Nabeel Samad, Dr. Michele Molinari, Dr. Geoff Williams, Helen Searle, Palliative Care, David Maginley, and the wonderful nurses and staff on 8A.
Cremation has taken place. Visitation will be held at A.L. Mattatall Funeral Home, 217 Portland Street, Dartmouth on Thursday, August 30, 2012 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 pm. Funeral Mass will take place on Friday, August 31, 2012 at St. Clement's Church, 16 Gaston Road, Dartmouth, at 10:00 am. Burial will take place in Ingonish, Cape Breton, at a later date. Family flowers only. Donations in Greg's memory can be made to Craig's Cause Pancreatic Cancer Society, an organization that raises funds for pancreatic cancer research carried out at the QEII Health Sciences Centre at www.craigscause.ca or by calling the QEII Foundation at (902) 473-7932. To view or place an online message of condolence please visit www.mattatallfuneralhome.com

 

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