Obituary of Rev. Paul B. Blank

The Rev. Paul Barnhart Blank, 84, of 4600 Route 60, Unit 46, Gerry, NY, died Tuesday November 1, 2011, in WCA Hospital. A native of Greensburg, PA, he was born December 8, 1926, a son of the late W. Roy and Carolyn McMinn Blank. He was a 1944 graduate of Greensburg Salem High School, received a bachelor's degree in history from Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA in 1950 and earned a master's of divinity from Lutheran Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA in 1955. From 1944-1945 he worked at the Federal Bureau of Investigation for which he received a certificate of war service. An ordained pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, he served the following congregations: St. Matthew's, St. Michael's and St. John's Lutheran Churches, all of Brick Church, PA, Lutheran Church of Our Savior, North Huntington, PA, Trinity Lutheran Church, Arendtsville, PA, St. James Lutheran Church, Altoona, PA and Jerusalem Lutheran Church, Rothsville, PA. Following his retirement he was visitation pastor for Zion Lutheran Church, Manheim, PA. He served on various synod and church-wide committees. He was a two term member of the Board of Trustees of Thiel College, Greenville, PA, delegate to the Lutheran Church in America assembly 1972 and 1974 and chaplain for the Rothsville Fire and Ambulance Company, Rothsville, PA. Surviving are his wife the former Helen Brubaker, whom he married August 20, 1949, three children Paul (Sheryl Tucker) Blank of Sumner, ME, Linda Blank (Joseph) Finigan of San Bruno, CA and Rev. David (Judith Cole) Blank of Warren, PA; six grandchildren Jill Blank (Anthony) Mason of Livermore, ME, Benjamin Blank of Chesapeake, VA, Krista Finigan and Douglas Finigan both of San Bruno, CA, Jonathan (Kristin Toburen) Blank of Germantown, MD and Nathaniel Blank of Pittsburgh, PA, two great grandchildren Liam Mason and Felix Blank and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brother, William R. Blank. A celebration of life will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday in First Lutheran Church, Warren. The Rev. Jeffrey Ewing, associate pastor of the church, the Rev. Mark Fischer, pastor of Brokenstraw Lutheran Parrish and the Rev. Sam Shreffler, chaplain, Heritage Village will officiate. Inurnment will be in Millersville Mennonite Cemetery, Millersville, PA. Friends will be received for one hour prior to the service Sunday in the church. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to First Lutheran Church, 109 West Third Avenue, Warren, PA 16365 or American heart Association, hearts and Gifts Processing Center, PO Box 3049, Syracuse, NY 13220. You may light a candle in remembrance of Paul at www.lindfuneralhome.com