Wallace Blackburn

Wallace F. Blackburn

Cincinnati native

Birth  October 26, 1924

Family relocated to Mt. Healthy 1938

Wally was drafted into the Army's 97th Division in 1942.  It was his great fortune on August 12, 1943 to marry Loraine Waechter  In December of that same year he was excepted into the US Army Air Corp. While stationed at the Air Corp School in Texas he was assigned to the B-24 Flight Division.  There he received T-6 pilot and gunner training.  Just after D-Day in August 1944 he was shipped to England where he flew 35 missions over France and Germany.  In March 1945, Wally returned home to train for the Air Campaign on Japan.  In September 1945 after Hiroshima he left military service with an "early out"  discharge with Honors.  He proudly received the "Decorated Airman, The Gunners Wings, Air Medal with 4 Clusters, The Europe Defense Medal with 4 Stars, along with Victory and Good Conduct Medals".  In 1946  he and Loraine moved to Greenhills, Ohio and became very active in the community.  From 1949 to 1953 He completed school at Ohio Collage of Applied Science (OCAS) and was subsequently hired as a Systems Technician at Proctor and Gamble. He was involved with Boys Scouts in Greenhills and Forest Park from 1954 through1964. During that time he became a Scout Master.  From 1958 to 1965 he worked with the Forest Park Baseball Association becoming the President of the Association in 1964. That same year Wally became Post Commander of the VFW. He continued his community activities being an active member of the Forest Park Swim Club (1958 to 1970) and being elected to the Forest Park Charter Commission in 1967. Wally enthusiastically supported local politics in Forest Park, Hamilton County and Nationally from 1964 to 2000. During that time he served as the Board of Election Precinct Captain(1965-1985) and  acted as Presiding Judge for Hamilton County Board of Elections (1975-1995). He was dedicated to the Forest Park Civic Association and the Fort Hamilton Philatelic Society. He continued as a member of the Forest Park Historical Society and was Curator for 10 years. He remained vigorous in community projects becoming the Committee Chairman for the Newell School Commemoration in 1999. The following year (2000), Wally had the honor of being inducted into the Forest Park Hall of Fame. He then went on to served on the Forest Park 50th Anniversary Committee (2005), was a member of the Forest Park Charter Review Committee and was a avid force in the American Legion, the 8th Air Force Association and the 392nd Bomb Group Association. Wally was the best husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend. He loved and was loved by all. Husband of the late Loraine E. (nee Waechter) Blackburn. Father of Michael (Diane) Blackburn, Darryl (Nanci), Blackburn, and Kenneth (Brenda) Blackburn. Grandfather of Megan (Joseph) Albrecht, Matthew (Ashley) Blackburn, and Michael (Julie) Blackburn. Great Grandfather of Lynna Blackburn. Brother of Donna Roll. Wally passed away on Sunday, October 28, 2018 at the age of 94 years. Visitation will be Friday, November 2, 2018 at Vorhis and Ryan Funeral Home, 11365 Springfield Pk., Springdale, OH 45246 from 10am until time of service at 12noon. Memorial donations can be made to Queen City Hospice, 8250 Kenwood Crossing Way #200, Cincinnati, OH 45236 (www.queencityhospice.com).