<body><div>Rev. Bruce Alan Blankenship, our beloved Husband, Father, and Brother peacefully and unexpectedly departed from us on October 14, 2024 at his home in Charlottesville, VA. Born on July 16, 1958 in Richwood, WV, he was preceded in death by his parents Rev. Stanley and <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0PktJE_0wF8VETs00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0PktJE_0wF8VETs00" width="896" height="896" ></figure>Hamako (Peggy) Blankenship, and mother-in-law Ruth Mahaffey. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Cheryl (Mahaffey) and his beloved daughter, Abigail Blankenship; his brothers, Art and his wife Rosemary; Jeff, and his wife Rhonda; his sister Carole (Blankenship) Spicer and her husband Steve; father-in-law Delbert Mahaffey (Mary Jo); sister-in-law, LaDonna Mahaffey; brother-in-law, Tim Mahaffey (Joy); three nieces – Janna Camperman (David), Stephanie Mahaffey, Amy Gaefke (Christopher); and four nephews – Michael McCuskey (Shelbi), Scotty McCuskey, Brett Lively (Kendra), Shane Spicer (Cristobal); and several great nieces and nephews.He served in various leadership capacities at Alderson-Broaddus University for over 30 years until his retirement in 2022. Prior to this he served as the Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church, Waynesburg, PA. He graduated from West Virginia University and Midwestern Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO where he received his Master of Divinity Degree. While at WVU, he met and married his wife, Cheryl. He was a Rotarian and active in many community and church activities which included: serving in several regional capacities for the American Baptist Churches, being a member of the Phillippi City planning commission, and coaching the Barbour County High School swim team for 5 years. He had a wide range of interests but particularly loved playing golf and basketball, cooking, smoking meat, woodworking projects, boating, and traveling. He enjoyed lively discussions and debates about any topic. He was a lifelong ardent fan of WVU sports. He loved laughing and spending time with his family and friends. Most importantly, he was passionate about his mission of serving the Lord and appreciated the opportunity to preach and speak in many churches throughout West Virginia and Pennsylvania.The family will receive relatives and friends at the Carpenter and Ford Funeral Home, 209 Merchant Street, Fairmont, WV on Monday, October 21 from 2:00 pm-4:00 pm and again, from 6:00 pm-8:00 pm. The service celebrating his life will be at the Funeral Home on Tuesday, October 22 at 11:00 am, with visitation starting one hour earlier at 10:00 am. Rev. Matt Boschen will be officiating along with Rev. Richard Hepler, Rev. Dr. Danny Franke, and Dr. Carl Gittings.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Blankenship Family Scholarship Fund at Richwood High School, 16416 Webster Road, Craigsville, WV 26205. Make checks payable to Richwood High School with Blankenship Family Scholarship on the memo line. Online condolences and memories may be left online at www.carpenterandfordfuneralhome.com</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

High School Coach, Pastor, Local City Official, Leader on College Campus, Rev. Bruce Blankenship, Passes

Rev. Bruce Alan Blankenship, our beloved Husband, Father, and Brother peacefully and unexpectedly departed from us on October 14, 2024 at his home in Charlottesville, VA. Born on July 16, 1958 in Richwood, WV, he was preceded in death by his parents Rev. Stanley and. Hamako (Peggy) Blankenship, and mother-in-law...