Leroy Blanton's Obituary
Leroy Blanton, born August 18, 1928, in Oak Cliff, Texas, passed away peacefully at home with family on November 2, 2009 at the age of 81 in Garland, Texas. He is survived by his wife Gaynell Rose and three daughters, Clarissa Ann, Pamela Marie and Patricia Lee. A Memorial Service will be held in Leroy’s honor at 12:30 pm, Thursday, November 5, 2009, in Restland’s Wildwood Chapel, with interment to follow in Restland Memorial Park. Visitation will be 5-7pm, Wednesday, November 3, 2009, at the funeral home. As a gentle, loving and devoted husband, father and provider to his family, he was respected and treasured with profound adoration. He has also been recognized and highly respected for his strength of character and generosity by his many cherished friends and colleagues met along the way. Leroy proudly served in the U.S. Navy from 1946 to 1956 in the field of Navy Electronics, Radar and Surface/Ship to Air Missiles. He would find himself traveling to many ports around the world while he soaked up the opportunity to cultivate his love of electronics. After a short time faking it through college courses (his words pretty much!), he was hired on at Texas Instruments and remained there for the ensuing 26 years. At a time in which the Transistor was new on the market, equipment for testing the high rate of defective transistors was of desperate need. As an accomplished Electrical Engineer, he worked as a primary designer in the Test Equipment design group beginning around 1960. This would go on to include some designs that are still in use today, almost 50 years later. Other areas in which his expertise was sought by popular demand would include the Semiconductor Group, the chemical and materials division, and an assortment of other design team projects. After an early retirement from TI (honestly, he was really only getting warmed up) Leroy and two close colleagues formed their own company to continue their pursuit of advancing the Integrated Circuit Test Equipment. This would lead to his first patent of a calibration machine in 1989. Many more patents would follow throughout his career. As market demands changed he would find himself forming his own private consulting business known as LRB Services. After over two years of consulting he was asked to form a company, eventually known as Zlan Ltd, to test specialized analog and high speed circuits used in machines costing in the two to three Million dollar range. As the company grew, their need for quality electronic technicians became harder and harder to find. Along with his colleague who was also a former naval electronic engineer, they sought out Navy trained electronic technician sailors in need of jobs because they were being discharged. They provided air and moving expenses for the upcoming 10 fortunate sailors and their families to be shipped to their new homes to join the growing family at Zlan Ltd. He continued on at Zlan Ltd. until the age of 80 due to the sheer joy of his passion to play, uhhh..I mean work! Leroy also received the highest degree possible as a Master Mason and has been proud to honor their teachings for over 50 years. There are no words to express the joy Leroy has brought to our lives. We will miss his warm presence forever, but we will always rejoice at the long deserved serenity he is wrapped in at this moment. He has already managed to soothe our grief by filling our hearts with his ever loving spirit and compassion.
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