Stanley E Blinks

Stanley E. Blinks, 90, formerly of Chehalis, Wash., passed away Jan. 19, 2018, in Kirkland, Wash. Stan was born on Dec. 15, 1927, in New York City, N.Y., to Albion and Ruetta (Day) Blinks. He was an only child. A 1945 graduate of Paschal High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Stan attended school in Iowa, New Mexico, Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Texas again, before attending then Iowa State College, his father and uncle’s alma mater, his first two years of college. He was a member of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity like his father and uncle before him at Iowa State. Stan graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1951, with a bachelor of science degree in forest management. He worked several summers in Glacier National Park. Stan landed a full-time job with the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company in 1951, in Longview, Wash. He worked as an inventory forester in Longview until 1957, when he was transferred to the Skokomish Tree Farm in Snohomish, Wash. On April 18, 1959, Stan married his wife of 45 years, Ann Trout, in Stillwater, Okla., her hometown. Stan’s mother, Ruetta and Ann’s father, Clement Eddy Trout, head of Journalism at Oklahoma A & M, were friends and introduced the couple. Upon marriage, the couple moved to Monroe, Wash. Diann Eddy Blinks, their first child, was born July 27, 1961, in Everett, Wash. In the spring of 1963, the couple moved to Chehalis, Wash., where Stan was transferred with one other Weyerhaeuser employee to set up a new Chehalis Weyerhaeuser office. Stan and Ann found their dream home in Chehalis and spent the next 30 years serving the community. Scott Edward Blinks was born Aug. 18, 1964. Ann went to work for The Daily Chronicle in 1968, and became the lifestyle editor two years later. She served as Lifestyle Editor for 25 years. Stan, in the meantime, joined the Lions Club in 1964, and became a 50 year member of the club. He traveled to annual conventions in Tokyo, Mexico City and San Francisco, during his years as a Lion. He had a passion for collecting Lion’s pins from all over the world and was honored in 2014, for his 50 year’s service to the Lion’s Club collecting eyeglasses no longer being used, a program started by his father, Albion A. Blinks. Stan retired from Weyerhaeuser in 1982, after 31 years. He spent his retirement years serving the SAF (Society of American Foresters) in many different capacities. He joined the SAF in 1951, as a student and held Chapter and National offices in the Longview, North Puget Sound and Southwest Washington chapters from 1952 to 1993. In 1974, Stan was named the Society of American Forester’s Forester of the Year and in 1979, he was elected a Fellow in the Society. Stan was also active in the Elks Club and enjoyed membership in the Twin Cities Elks for many years, serving as treasurer. For many years, Stan bowled every Monday night with the Twin Cities Bowling League, but had to give that up when his knees gave out. He started his own business, Stanserve Forest Advisory Service, soon after retirement. Stan and Ann were longtime members of the Chehalis United Methodist Church and were well known in the congregation for their “Mr. and Mrs. Fellowship Spaghetti Night”, held annually at their home. Several years after Ann died in 2004, Stan found companionship with Margie Dukes, whom he lived with in Tacoma until 2013, when she became ill and then passed away February 2014. He moved back to Chehalis and lived at Woodland Estates from June 2013 to November 2017, and enjoyed companionship with many friends, old and new. In November 2017, he moved to Brookdale, Kirkland, to be close to his daughter, Diann. Stan died peacefully in his sleep at 9:28 a.m., Friday, Jan. 19, 2018. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Scott and Therese Blinks of Chehalis and their daughter, Reese Blinks, eighth grader at Chehalis Middle School; and daughter and son-in-law, Diann Blinks Mangan and Simon Hedworth of Seattle and Diann’s two children, Claire Mangan, junior at Whitman College, Walla Walla and Joe Mangan, junior at Roosevelt High School, Seattle. Stan’s wife, Ann Trout, preceded Stan in death. A memorial service will be held at the Chehalis United Methodist Church, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018, at 2 p.m., with a reception to follow.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Stanley E Blinks, please visit our floral store.