Mr. Donnie Tate Blankenship

Mr. Donnie Tate Blankenship, 69, of Rome, passed away Saturday afternoon, February 19, 2022, at a Rome hospital with his family following a long fight with cancer.

Mr. Blankenship was born at the McCall Hospital in Rome on February 20, 1952, a son of Mrs. Elizabeth Jean (Bettye) Vann Blankenship and the late C. T. (Buddy) Blankenship. He attended Cave Spring School, was a graduate of Pepperell High School and a graduate of the West Georgia College. Mr. Blankenship was a veteran of the U.S. Army, stationed in Berlin, Germany with the Artillery Group from 1972 till 1974. He begin his career with Southern Bell as a lineman, and after 30 years of service in Atlanta and back to Rome, he retired as the Finance Manager for N.W. Georgia. He was a lifelong member of the Cedar Creek Baptist Church. Mr. Blankenship loved spending time with his grandchildren who called him PaPa, and they were the source of joy in his life. His hobbies included music, photography, and collecting vinyl albums and vintage stereo equipment. He will be remembered for his loving hugs, his kindness, his warm smile, and for playing the stereo way too loud.

Besides his father, he was preceded in death by his brother, Vann Blankenship, and by his sister, Mrs. Linda Blankenship Mayer.

Mr. Blankenship is survived by his wife of 50 years, the former Mary Beth Hunnicutt, to whom he was married July 2, 1971; by his son, Derek (Andrea) Blankenship; by his daughter, Mrs. Amber (Jason) Ford; and by his mother, Mrs. Bettye Blankenship, all of Rome. Seven grandchildren, Cora Blankenship, Ellison Blankenship, Reece Fountain, Ashton Holmes, Madison Holmes, Carson Ford and Millie Ford and several nieces and nephews also survive.

Mr. Blankenship’s family received friends at John House’s Cave Spring Chapel Sunday afternoon, February 27, 2022 from 2:00 P.M. till 4:00 P.M.

A private family memorial service will be held at a later date.

Memorials may be made for children’s cancer research at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, www.stjude.org

John House’s Cave Spring Chapel

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