- Date Of Birth: February 16, 1935
- Date Of Death: June 27, 2021
- State: Texas
Joan French Blackburn of San Antonio, Texas passed away peacefully to be with her Lord and Savior on June 27, 2021 in Belton, Texas after a lengthy illness. She was 86.
Joan and her twin brother Huey were born in Queen City, Texas to Dewitt and Myrtle French on February 16, 1935. The family lived mostly in the panhandle of Texas, including Amarillo, Memphis, and Childress. Her twin brother Huey enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 15, wanting to be a soldier like all his older brothers. He was killed in action shortly afterwards at the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir in Korea, one of America’s youngest soldiers to fall in battle. Life was never the same for Joan without her twin. She honored his memory all her life through her association with The Chosin Few and other Korean War veteran groups. Huey’s Purple Heart medal will be interred with Joan at her final resting place at Sunset Memorial Cemetery in San Antonio.
Joan attended school in San Antonio for two years after Huey’s death, and then returned to Childress where she graduated from Childress High School in 1953. She was awarded a scholarship to attend Mary Hardin-Baylor College for Women but decided instead to become a wife, homemaker, and mother.
Joan was a talented and devoted woman who loved to cook, sew, and care for others. She was a gracious hostess and a generous, sweet lady. She loved holidays, especially ‘trick or treat time,’ and all the neighborhood children knew and loved her for her decorations, special treats, and surprise gifts she would give.
Joan and her husband Don were married on September 27, 1969 at Alamo Heights Methodist Church in San Antonio. They celebrated 50 years of marriage before his death on July 27, 2020, exactly 11 months prior to her passing.
In 1974, Joan and Don founded Blackburn Drives and Controls, Inc. in San Antonio, where they served until their retirement in 2002. A bronze plaque displayed at the building’s entrance was dedicated to Don and Joan’s fathers because of their steadfast teaching to always honor honesty, integrity, and the importance of free enterprise.
Joan loved San Antonio and served for many years on the San Antonio Chamber Of Commerce’s Red Carpet Committee, greeting dignitaries and celebrities who visited the ‘Alamo City’. Joan also had a compassionate heart for the cause of abused and stray animals. She and her husband Don worked tirelessly for over 30 years with San Antonio’s veterinarians and shelters to foster strays and to place hundreds of orphaned animals to better lives in loving homes.
Joan loved her family, her home and caring for others. She cared daily for her sister Syble and her brother-in-law Al Arriaga as well as her own husband Don during their illnesses, up until their deaths.
Joan was preceded in death by her parents, Dewitt Hotchkiss and Myrtle Latham French of Childress, Texas; her twin brother Cpl. Huey P. French; her brothers Dewitt H. French, Jr. of Dallas, John. W. French of Amarillo, Martin R. French of Amarillo, Jack French of Coure d’Alene, Idaho, Joe French of Spokane, Washington, her sister Syble Harrell-Arriaga and brother-in-laws Russell Harrell and Elijio “Al” Arriaga of San Antonio, Texas.
She is survived by her daughter Susan and her husband Dr. Ron Owens of Belton, Texas.; her son, Steve Anderson (Rachel) of Ft. Worth, Texas; nieces Barbara Blackburn of Chicago, Illinois; Debbie (Gary) Coleman of Rochester, Michigan; nephews Jon French (Sheryl) of Seattle, Washington; David French of St. Maries, Idaho; Joe French of Liberty Hill, Washington; Rob Blackburn (Brenda) of Sterling Heights, Michigan; Bill Blackburn (Carol) of Mio, Michigan; as well as her dear friends Cheryl Allen, Alma Lopez, Chuck and Jennifer Bustanos, Mardi Haefling, Barbara Torres, all of San Antonio, and Max and Bev Ellingson of Placitas, New Mexico.
