Eugene J. "Luke" Blackburn, 84, Home, passed away Wednesday at DuBois Regional Medical Center.
He was born in Standard Shaft, son of the late Matthew and Mary (Brindlinger) Blackburn.
Surviving are his wife, Dorothy (Hart); four daughters: Joann Blose and husband, Allen, of Home, Mary Jane Turner and husband, Lionel, of Takoma Park, Md., Eugenia "Jeannie" Thomas and husband, Paul, of Patton and Kathleen Sunderlin and husband, Donald, of Mahaffey; five grandchildren: Alexis Blose, Amelia Turner, Greer Turner, Brandon Gilbert and wife, Amy, and Matthew Sunderlin; three great-grandchildren: Jonathon, Makayla and Nicholas Gilbert; a sister, Christine Konieczny and husband, Chester, of Mount Pleasant; two sisters-in-law: Angeline and Marcia Blackburn; and many loving nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by a son, Lawrence "Larry"; four brothers: Bill, Raymond, John and Matthew; and three sisters: Opal Jacquette, Adelaide Shandorf and Etta Mae Farrah.
Luke was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of WWII. He worked as a cable inspector for Alltel of Murrysville. He owned Luke's Sporting Supply and was a member of Smicksburg Lutheran Church, Sagamore VFW and Punxsutawney American Legion.
Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012, and 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012, at Carson/Boyer Funeral Home Inc., 724 Main St., Rural Valley. A funeral service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Smicksburg Lutheran Church, Pastor Arlene Schweitzer officiating. Burial will take place in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Sagamore, with full military honors by the Armstrong County Honor Guard.
