Ronald Lee Blank

Ronald Lee Blank, loving husband, devoted father, proud grandpa, and Marine Corps Veteran, passed away at home on January 2, 2024, at the age of 75. His wife and three daughters were by his side. Ron was born on July 19, 1948, in Winona, Minnesota to his beloved parents, Harry and Florence (Szewell) Blank.

Ron graduated from Cotter High School in 1966. He was drafted into the military in May of 1968, and served as a Marine in the Vietnam War from 1969 to 1970. Ron continued to serve in the Marine Corps Reserve until 1974.

Upon his return, Ron started his career at Bay State Milling where he met the love of his life, Doreen Henrietta Heyer. Ron and Doreen were married on August 29, 1981, at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Nodine, Minnesota.

Ron cherished his role as a father, finding profound happiness in raising three remarkable daughters. His devotion to his family was unwavering.

In the spring of 2012, Ron entered a new chapter of his life as he embarked on his well-deserved retirement after 42 years at Bay State. In his retirement, Ron and Doreen enjoyed traveling to destinations such as Arizona, Florida, California, Nevada, Winnipeg, and a memorable cruise to Central America.

Aside from traveling, Ron was an avid sports enthusiast with a loyalty to Minnesota teams; he especially enjoyed cheering for the Twins and the Vikings. Ron also enjoyed playing blackjack at the casino.

Ron is survived by his wife, Doreen Blank; daughters, Jennifer (Chris Wysong) Blank, Jocelyn (Justin Clark) Blank, and Jillian (Owen) Speltz; grandchildren, Barrett Ronald Speltz and Clara Henrietta Speltz; Marine Corps buddies, Butch Crawford and Denny McCaig; and many other extended family members.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sister and brother-in-law, Jan and Bob Hoppe; and parents-in-law, Harvey and Lorraine Heyer.

A memorial service with military funeral honors will be held on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at 12:30 pm at Hoff Celebration of Life Center (3480 Service Drive, Goodview, MN) with visitation from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm.

In lieu of flowers, please give the gift of life by donating blood or platelets. The generous donations of others allowed Ron’s family to spend a few more precious months with him.

A livestream of Ron's service is available at the link below.