Richard W. Blenkinsop 1931 - 2025

On March 19, 2025, Richard William Blenkinsop, of Cody, Wyoming, passed away in Boise, Idaho.

Richard was a kind, generous, and humble man. He was respected by his family, friends, and colleagues as a hard-working man of integrity. Through his strong character and actions, Richard modeled a life of service and devotion to his family and others. He was a quintessential gentleman.

Richard “Dick” Blenkinsop was born January 15, 1931, in McMinnville, Oregon, to Richard E. Blenkinsop and Emma (Schreiber) Blenkinsop. He was the youngest of five children. Dick had a wonderful small-town childhood in McMinnville surrounded by a loving family.

After graduating from McMinnville High School in 1948, Dick attended Linfield College for two years. He then transferred to and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon. Throughout his life, Dick remained an avid fan of the Oregon Ducks sports teams, often traveling throughout the country to see his beloved Ducks (or “Webfoots," as he would remind us).

The small-town boy from the West then boldly headed east to attend graduate school at New York University. After graduating from NYU with a master’s degree in Business Administration, Dick joined the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. He was able to visit countries around the world while protecting our nation. Dick then returned to his beloved Northwest after leaving the Navy.

After a stint with the JC Penney Company in Portland, Dick took a sales job with United States Gypsum that eventually landed him in Spokane, Washington. Thus began a career in building materials sales that lasted deep into his 70s.

While working in Spokane, Dick met a beautiful young woman who was living in the same apartment complex. He would ask this woman, Jeanne Bratton from Cody, Wyoming, to be his wife in 1964, and the newlyweds moved to San Diego, California. Two sons, Brian and Robert, were born there. The family relocated to Pleasanton, California, where their third son, Gregory, was born. After Pleasanton, the family moved to Orange County, California, where Dick worked for Western Metal Lath, eventually becoming president of the company. Dick loved living in Southern California and often took the boys for a day at the beach.

In 1991, with the boys grown, Dick and Jeanne returned to Oregon, where Dick successfully operated his own company as an independent sales representative for various building materials companies. He was an outstanding salesman and finished his career as it started, driving the roads of the Pacific Northwest. Dick and Jeanne retired to Cody. He enjoyed life in Wyoming, where he and Jeanne appreciated the slower pace of life while being able to reconnect with family and friends, new and old.

Dick and Jeanne were married for 60 years, passing away within days of each other in March of this year.

Dick loved reading the newspaper, books, and magazines. He found joy in discussing history, politics, and geography. Watching sports with his family was a favorite pastime. You could often hear his wonderful voice singing along to his favorite country music songs, as music was always in his life. He had a love for his home state and the West and enjoyed driving through backroads admiring the diverse beauty of our country. He loved exploring the particularities of some small town’s history and economy along the way.

Richard is survived by his and Jeanne’s three sons, Brian of Mission Viejo, California, Robert (Carla) of Boise, and Greg of Cody. He also leaves behind three granddaughters, Emma of San Diego, and Sofia and Delaney of Boise.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Jeanne; parents; and his siblings, Robert, Marianne, Dorothy Ulrich, and Frances Savage.

A memorial service for both Richard and Jeanne Blenkinsop will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, June 30, 2025, at the United Methodist Church, 1405 Beck Avenue, Cody, Wyoming.

Those unable to attend may view the memorial via livestream at: https://codyumc.churchtrac.com