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William Blanck Obituary

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William Blanck

Dobbs Ferry, NY

May 28, 2014

William Blanck Obituary

Long-time Dobbs Ferry resident William J. Blanck, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, May 28, 2014. He was 93. Bill was a passionate historian, photographer and political activist. A Yonkers native, Bill graduated from Gorton High School with the class of 1938 and was awarded a B.A.in Economics from New York University in 1942. During college he was a copy boy at The New York Journal-American. After graduation, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. When he returned to civilian life, Bill worked as a photographer at Women's Wear Daily. In 1949 he married Gloria Mae Bright, also of Yonkers; a year later the couple moved to Dobbs Ferry, which has been their home ever since. Bill worked for as an underwriter for The Commercial Union Assurance Company for much of his life, but made a career shift in his late 40s, returning to his early passions - journalism, photography and history. He became editor of The Reminder Weekly News and took great pride in covering national issues on a local level. His reporting played a role in helping defeat the proposed Hudson River Expressway, which would have ripped the heart out of towns all along the Hudson. Bill was active in local politics for decades, serving as Village Democratic Party Chairman. He is a past president of the Dobbs Ferry Historical Society and oversaw the organization's move into The Mead House. He is the author Dobbs Ferry's centennial publication, Life of a River Village as well as volumes of articles on local history for The Ferryman, the Dobbs Ferry Historical Society's publication. He loved collecting oral histories, and spent many hours documenting the experiences of Dobbs Ferry's WWII veterans. Bill was also central to righting a local historical wrong, setting the facts straight on one of Dobbs Ferry's erroneous claims to fame -- that George Washington's set up camp at the former Washington Rochambeau house. He was delighted when the NY Times covered the correction to misinformation on a local monument. http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/09/nyregion/after-century-town-finds-it-cannot-tell-a-lie.html Historical research continued to engage Bill. To his last days he was conducting an in-depth study of Rochambeau's life. He is survived by his wife, Gloria of Dobbs Ferry; his daughters, Christine Potter of Valley Cottage, NY and Susan Benson of Seattle, WA; his foster son, Thom Johnson of Peekskill, NY; his sister, Marie Coogan of Yonkers, NY, and his sons-in-law, Kenneth Potter of Valley Cottage, NY and Eric Benson of Seattle, WA. He was predeceased by his infant son, Peter. Visitation will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at Edwards Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Library and Museum, The American Civil Liberties Union or Reporters Without Borders.

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