Irene Blancett

Irene June Blancett, age 92, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 30, 2020, at A.G. Rhodes in Marietta. She was born on June 30, 1927 in Fountain City, Tennessee to Roy and Minnie (Horner) Longmire. She graduated high school in Hartshorne, Oklahoma and went on to marry Cleo “Dean” Blancett originally from Haileyville, Oklahoma in 1946.
She made Atlanta her home and knew the city so well that she would never take the same way home from work two days in a row. She worked twenty-five years as an Executive Assistant with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in Decatur until her retirement in 1992. Shortly after retirement, she returned to the workforce part-time as a switchboard operator for Scottish Rite Children's Hospital, where she felt honored connecting families and healthcare providers to coordinate healthcare for children.
Irene is survived by a son, Larry (Esther) Blancett of Takoradi, Ghana, Africa, and two daughters, Linda Martin (Russ)-Jester of Foley, Alabama, and Dee Anne (Pat) Clay of Gulf Shores, Alabama; eleven grand-children, Dean (Shelli) Martin of Tampa, Florida, Bill (Letichel) Blancett of Cypress, Texas, Ron Blancett of Houston, Texas, Lori Anne (Randy) Fitzgibbons of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, Nelson Martin of Orlando, Florida, Dr. Evelyn Campbell (Ibrahim)-Bayaan of Atlanta, Georgia, Jamie (Francis) D’Cruz of Gulf Shores, Alabama, Janine Blancett of Brooklyn, New York, Janel Blancett of Atlanta, Georgia, Nhyira Afia Blancett, age 11, and Brenda Yaa Blancett, age 3; and twelve great-grandchildren.
Irene loved her grandchildren and had a special relationship with her granddaughters Janine and Janel, devoting many years to raising “the twins”. She also had a special bond with her grandsons, Ron and Bill, who spent some of their formative years with her. She was a big fan of healthy eating and one of her favorite grocery stores was the local Whole Foods. She passed on an appreciation of healthy eating to her grandchildren.
Irene exemplified courage, strength, and independence. She valued education which guided her career choice and was proud to exercise her voting rights. She questioned local leaders and participated in community events. She was a beauty who was as graceful as she was well-dressed. She loved music and dancing, loved to laugh, and her laugh in itself was a joy to those around her.