Blank, Barbara F.

Barbara Floyd Blank

Barbara F. Blank passed away to be with her Lord on December 8, 2020. She was born Barbara Ann Floyd on May 1, 1935 to Dr. Donald Lester Floyd, D.D.S., and Ida (Taft) Floyd in Oneida, NY. She spent a happy childhood in the idyllic small city of Oneida along with her brother Donald T. Floyd. Barbara graduated from Oneida High School in 1953. There, she played tennis and played clarinet in the marching band. Her family lived at “the camp” from Memorial Day to Labor Day and in town the rest of the year. The camp was on the north shore of Oneida Lake and brought forth years of great experiences.

After high school, Barbara chose to attend the University of Rochester School of Nursing. She started at the Prince Street campus and later moved to Helenwood Hall at Strong Memorial Hospital. While at the U of R she developed an enduring connection to the calling of nursing, earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Registered Nursing in June of 1957. She spent part of the next year working at Strong Memorial Hospital meeting certification requirements before she would join her husband in Kansas and later Washington’s Puget Sound. In college, she had met Robert E. Blank, Jr. and they married on June 29, 1957 at the First Presbyterian Church of Oneida. This marriage would end in divorce in 1977. Robert Donald Blank was born February 16, 1959 in Anacortes, WA while Barbara’s husband was in the Navy. William Edward Blank was born June 11, 1962 in Rochester, NY after the family returned to the East Coast. Barbara suffered a full-term stillbirth in between the two boys.

Barbara chose to be a full time mother during the formative years of her sons. Her husband worked as an executive for Sybron Corporation, based in Rochester and moving was the norm. During her marriage, Barbara lived in 10 houses. The fact that she spent the last 36 years in the same house, speaks to her desire for stability. There were seven homes in the Rochester area, one in New Jersey, and two in Michigan.

Barbara was very connected to her roots in the eastern Adirondacks. Both parents were from Ticonderoga and the original family camp was on Eagle Lake, NY. She enjoyed annual summer and fall trips to the lake and surrounding region. Barbara always brought flowers to the family cemetery plot near “Ti”.

Barbara was an accomplished Canasta player. This was and is the family game. Every night at the family camp there was a lively game. She won her very last game of Canasta shortly before her death. Canasta games were always accompanied by coffee ice cream, peppermint patties, or some other kind of chocolate. She also loved word games of all sorts to include Scrabble, Words with Friends, Bananagrams and others.

Barbara had many other skills. She was an excellent seamstress and made quilts, curtains, dresses, tablecloths, aprons, and knitted Christmas stockings. Her skill with plants was astounding. She truly had a green thumb and leaves behind a number of orphaned plants that are beautiful. Some of these plants have origins over 100 years ago and have been kept alive and flourishing ever since.

Barbara was an amazing cook. She was very meticulous in how she prepared ingredients, careful to remove anything unpalatable from a homemade soup. She enjoyed many kinds of food but never graduated to spicy foods. Her chocolate cake was incredible. The frosting had coffee in it and was a destination of its own.

Barbara dearly loved her dog Suki, who died in 1989. It could be said that she never really got over the loss of Suki. Suki was there in some of her darkest days, right after the divorce. Barbara was perhaps most proud of her sobriety of nearly 41 years. She often said that the best counselors in the world are “Friends of Bill”.

After Barbara’s divorce, she needed to return to work. That meant getting recertified as a nurse. For many years, she worked at the Nortonian Nursing Home as a shift supervisor. Years later, she moved to the Kirkhaven Nursing Home in the same capacity. She told the story of an elderly man who was never visited. On the night he would pass, she arranged to sit with him all night long holding his hand. At his passing, a single tear rolled down his cheek.

At some point, Barbara decided that there was a world of travelling to do. Her overseas travels with family and friends took her to England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Belgium, Italy, and Greece. Of all the places she travelled, the Amalfi Coast in Italy seemed to be her favorite. Here in North America, she was able to see Maine, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Vancouver, Banff, many Utah national parks, Las Vegas, San Diego, and Hawaii, Florida, Oregon, and Texas, to name a few.

In later years, Barbara recognized that a personal relationship with Jesus Christ was a necessary means to complete this cycle of life. She became a member and regular attendee of Perinton Community Church, Fairport, NY and participated in bible studies and retreats, as well. She had been raised in an agnostic home and found solace in her new found faith.

Barbara took immaculate care of everything that was hers. Her house was spotless to the end. She had the car seats covered with towels so the seats would always look new. Her son Bob recently had her carpets cleaned. The cleaner said he’d never seen such clean carpets, yet they had never been professionally cleaned for over 20 years. There was never any dust anywhere. It is often said that “things” don’t matter, but they did to Barbara. If she was given an ugly Christmas ornament by a coworker it would become a cherished object because the person who gave it must have thought long and hard about the gift.

Barbara is survived by son Robert (Polly) Blank, Carthage, NY, son William (Michelle) Blank, Tualatin, OR, grandchildren Angela (John) Hermoian, Tysons Corner, VA, Stephanie (Michael) Lobisch, Apopka, FL, Sarah Blank, Tualatin, OR, and Andrew Blank, Tualatin, OR. She was blessed with three great grandchildren, Emma Hermoian, Josh Lobisch, and JJ Hermoian. She leaves behind a sister-in-law, Judy Floyd, and eight nieces and nephews.

Barbara had enduring friendships with several very good lifelong friends, Colleen Klix, Nancy and Bruce Baker, Ellen and Ab Smith, Sue Burggraaff, Rita Borden, Peggy Marshall, Marilyn Madsen, and Ellie Smuk. Each friendship was different and she cherished them all.

Barbara was predeceased by her parents, brother, and her stillborn son.

Because COVID 19 has made gathering difficult, the family will postpone a celebration of life until the summer of 2021. Exact date and time will be communicated at a later date. There will be a local service at Perinton Community Church as well as a burial service at Valley View Cemetery, Ticonderoga. Arrangements are being handled by Keenan Funeral Home in Fairport.

Memorial donations in Barbara’s name may be made to one of her favorite charities. These include Perinton Community Church, Lollypop Farm, Boys Town, or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Condolences and memories may be shared on line at https://keenanfuneralhomes.com/category/obituaries/.