Glenn Irvin Blunk

Glenn Irvin Blunk was born June 30, 1924 in Okeene, OK. He passed peacefully after a short battle with pneumonia on August 27, 2014– almost two months after his 90th birthday. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Mike and Gail Blunk of Oklahoma City, son and daughter-in-law, Patrick and Jeanie Blunk of Fort Wayne, Indiana, sister, Beatty Davis of Enid, OK, brother-in-law, Virgil Laubach, of Wyoming, and his granddaughter and her husband Bridget and Chris Markwood and great granddaughter Reagan Markwood of Corpus Christi, Texas. He is preceded in death by two of his sisters, Jane Laubach and Vinita Clester, his grandson, Glenn Daniel Blunk and his wife, Edna, who passed away earlier this year. Glenn grew up in Blaine County farm country on land his family acquired during the land-run. He farmed with his family through high school. Always an adventurous, creative, and inventive spirit, he decided to spread his wings after graduation and head west for California, where he found a job building ships in Long Beach, CA. After that he went to Pensacola, Fl to continue working in shipyards. He returned to Oklahoma in 1947 and married his high school sweetheart. He began working as a painting contractor then moved back to the farm in Blaine County where their first son Mike was born in 1950. He continued farming until 1956, when he moved his family to Seattle, WA, where he worked for Boeing. Enjoying the job, he decided to go to school for engineering. So in 1956-57, he attended Oklahoma State University, where 44 years later his granddaughter would receive her master’s degree. Not being one prone to sit still for long, he decided to leave school and go back to the trade of contract painting. In 1959, Glenn and Edna had their second son, Pat in Oklahoma City, before taking off on nearly a decade-long adventure. During the 60s, Glenn worked for several large corporations and various government agencies doing contract painting which included working on the Minute Man Missile Silos. These jobs took the family to Texas, Missouri, North Dakota, Montana and Georgia. By 1966, Glenn decided to move the family back to Oklahoma City, where he painted new home construction until retiring in the 90s. But he didn’t just paint– He invented! In the mid 1970s, he created a patented product called THE SPOTTER which made repair to acoustic ceilings much faster and more evenly distributed. One could also use it for popcorn ceilings and textured walls, which was all the rage at the time. Not a lazy bone in his body, he also went back to his roots and dabbled in some recreational farming, raising cows, rabbits, goats and growing beautiful vegetable gardens until just a few years ago. Glenn loved building and creating that which would make his work, whatever that may be, more efficient. He enjoyed collecting and repurposing old seemingly useless things. In addition, he donated regularly to St. Jude’s and Wounded Warriors. His life was long and full. His legacy of hard work, invention, and adventure lives on through his family. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that those interested donate to the Blunk Endowed Scholarship at the University of Central Oklahoma. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Glenn Irvin Blunk please visit our Sympathy Store.