Leonard Edward Blakely

Leonard Edward Blakely of Clifton passed away peacefully at age 94 on August 31, 2018, at Goodall-Witcher Nursing Facility in Clifton. Friends and family members are welcome to attend a graveside service at Clifton Memorial Park, Wednesday, September 5, 2018, at 10:30 AM with Dr. Jerry Smith officiating. Visitation will be from 5:00-7:00 PM, Tuesday at Clifton Funeral Home in Clifton.

Leonard was born February 3, 1924, in Marshall County, Oklahoma, to Florence (Billingsley) and Edward Blakely. After graduating from Kingston High School in 1942, he enlisted in the Army Air Force during World War II. Leonard served as Military Police supporting Gen. George Patton’s troops in the days and months following D-Day and the liberation of France. He learned of the surrender of the Axis Powers in 1945 while in Frankfurt, Germany. However he, like many other G.I.s, soon found themselves on board ships heading for the continuing conflict in the Pacific. His ship was destined for the Philippines and was only four hours out of Honolulu when word came that the Second World War was over, with the surrender of Japan.

After the war, he worked in the aerospace industry at General Dynamics in Ft. Worth as a pattern engineer and inspector until his retirement. He later worked at the U. S. Army’s Red River Army Depot as a supervisor of updates to critical military vehicles until retiring again in 1991.

In 1993, he and his wife, Lila, moved from Texarkana, Texas to her hometown of Clifton to be near her elderly mother, Mrs. Otho (Mattie) Jones. They loved living in Bosque County and enjoyed their new life there and the new friendships they made. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Clifton.

Leonard was preceded in death by his wife, Lila Pumphrey Blakely, two brothers, Earl and Alva, and a sister, Ruby. Survivors include his sons, Tom Pumphrey of Dallas, Bill C. Pumphrey and wife, Sharolyn Pumphrey, of Evant; four grandchildren, Clark Pumphrey and Steve Ward of Evant, Becca Ward of Arlington, and Paul Ward of College Station.

Memorials may be made to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children Foundation; 2222 Welborn Street; Dallas, TX 75219-3924. Arrangements are under the direction of Clifton Funeral Home in Clifton.