IN LOVING MEMORY OF
James
Blake
March 23, 1935 – November 18, 2025
Obituary
James Willard Blake, Sr. (1935-2025)
James Willard Blake, Sr., age 90, of Fort Wayne, IN, died at home on November 18, 2025 after a long, hard fought battle with dementia.
"Jimmy", as he was known in his early years, was born in Clifftop, WV in 1935 to Clarence and Lure Blake, the second of their four children and the only boy. He helped his parents around the farm and enjoyed visiting and helping his grandparents whenever he could. He spent some time as a Boy Scout, achieving the rank of First Class. In 1953, he graduated from Nuttall High School in Lookout, WV. While there, he was active in the band and 4-H. He loved playing the trumpet, the piano, the guitar and the steel guitar. About a year after graduation, he married his childhood sweetheart, Sue McGraw, who was his next door neighbor.
He briefly worked in Lansing, MI at an auto manufacturing plant, before moving to Richmond, VA where he worked at General Electric. After the first of four children was born, he relocated back to WV and held various positions in the coal mining industry before landing a job as an insurance agent at National Life Insurance Company. While working there, he decided to take and graduate from an electronics course, which he then leveraged into a 30-year career as a Field Engineer at NCR Corporation. After taking early retirement from NCR, he started his own company, which he later sold before retiring permanently. Not satisfied that he'd done enough, he studied for and was licensed as a Master Electrician – a goal he'd had since childhood. He also built his retirement home, much of it with his own hands, where he lived for over 20 years before making his final move to Indiana.
Over the years, he volunteered in Scouting, which led to all three sons achieving high rank in that organization. He was a Believer and active member of several churches, including serving as a deacon at Big Chimney Baptist Church in Big Chimney WV and, in later years, becoming a member of Minnie Bell Baptist Church in Corliss, WV where he was involved with the music ministry.
James loved his wife and children and always looked back fondly at the time when the children were growing up at home. He always set a good example and positioned all of his children for success later in life. In his later years, he was fond of recalling a number of stories about incidents that happened in his children's early lives. He also took many photos and home movies that documented those years.
James was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Lure Blake; his sisters, Irene and Florence; and his daughter-in-law, Vonnie (Mark). He is survived by his beloved wife of 71 years, Sue Blake; his children, James Blake Jr. (Carol), Rocky Blake (Sandy), Mark Blake (Rose), and Lucinda Schafer (Gary); his grandchildren, Leah, Stephen, Shannon, Leanne, Matthew, Spenser, Benjamin, Emma, Mark Jr., and Heather; his sister, Helen Scott; 12 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
Donations to the Lewy Body Dementia Association (www.ldba.org/donate/) would be much appreciated.
"When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ' Death has been swallowed up in victory." - 1 Corinthians 15:54-56
James Willard Blake, Sr., age 90, of Fort Wayne, IN, died at home on November 18, 2025 after a long, hard fought battle with dementia.
"Jimmy", as he was known in his early years, was born in Clifftop, WV in 1935 to Clarence and Lure Blake, the second of their four children and the only boy. He helped his parents around the farm and enjoyed visiting and helping his grandparents whenever he could. He spent some time as a Boy Scout, achieving the rank of First Class. In 1953, he graduated from Nuttall High School in Lookout, WV. While there, he was active in the band and 4-H. He loved playing the trumpet, the piano, the guitar and the steel guitar. About a year after graduation, he married his childhood sweetheart, Sue McGraw, who was his next door neighbor.
He briefly worked in Lansing, MI at an auto manufacturing plant, before moving to Richmond, VA where he worked at General Electric. After the first of four children was born, he relocated back to WV and held various positions in the coal mining industry before landing a job as an insurance agent at National Life Insurance Company. While working there, he decided to take and graduate from an electronics course, which he then leveraged into a 30-year career as a Field Engineer at NCR Corporation. After taking early retirement from NCR, he started his own company, which he later sold before retiring permanently. Not satisfied that he'd done enough, he studied for and was licensed as a Master Electrician – a goal he'd had since childhood. He also built his retirement home, much of it with his own hands, where he lived for over 20 years before making his final move to Indiana.
Over the years, he volunteered in Scouting, which led to all three sons achieving high rank in that organization. He was a Believer and active member of several churches, including serving as a deacon at Big Chimney Baptist Church in Big Chimney WV and, in later years, becoming a member of Minnie Bell Baptist Church in Corliss, WV where he was involved with the music ministry.
James loved his wife and children and always looked back fondly at the time when the children were growing up at home. He always set a good example and positioned all of his children for success later in life. In his later years, he was fond of recalling a number of stories about incidents that happened in his children's early lives. He also took many photos and home movies that documented those years.
James was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Lure Blake; his sisters, Irene and Florence; and his daughter-in-law, Vonnie (Mark). He is survived by his beloved wife of 71 years, Sue Blake; his children, James Blake Jr. (Carol), Rocky Blake (Sandy), Mark Blake (Rose), and Lucinda Schafer (Gary); his grandchildren, Leah, Stephen, Shannon, Leanne, Matthew, Spenser, Benjamin, Emma, Mark Jr., and Heather; his sister, Helen Scott; 12 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
Donations to the Lewy Body Dementia Association (www.ldba.org/donate/) would be much appreciated.
"When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ' Death has been swallowed up in victory." - 1 Corinthians 15:54-56
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of James Blake, please visit our flower store.
James Blake's Guestbook
Visits: 15
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors