Norman H. Blanchard Jr.

Norman H Blanchard Jr. passed away peacefully at the age of 95 on Friday, January 30, 2026, at Willow Valley Communities in Lancaster, PA, surrounded by his loving family. He left life the way he lived it: On his own terms with determination, courage, and dignity. He was born in 1930 in Pittsfield, MA, to the late Norman Harris Blanchard and Edna Perkins Blanchard. He grew up on October Mountain in New Lenox, MA, and was on the ski patrol at Bousquet Mountain, which was on his way home from the one-room schoolhouse in town. His simple, early upbringing gave him a lifelong love of nature and skiing. He became an accomplished athlete, which was particularly remarkable for a polio survivor. He was skilled as a gymnast and track star, which got him to Tufts University, following in his brother Duncan’s footsteps. At Tufts, he joined the ski team and also the ski jumping team. He graduated with a degree in Geology from Tufts University, where he met and married his wife of 71 years, Margaret Eugenie Blanchard, of Harrisburg, PA. He paid his way through college by washing dishes in the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity for room and board, and working nights at the Shell station on the Charles River in Cambridge, demonstrating a strong entrepreneurial instinct. He was drafted into the Army Infantry and subsequently re-enlisted in the Counter-Intelligence Corps, pursuing an opportunity to learn languages and serve in Europe during the Korean War. The army taught him French and then sent him to Germany, so he learned both. Eventually, adding fluent Spanish, some Italian, and Portuguese. Margaret (Peggy) joined him in France, and they lived in an active water mill on the river Vienne running through the medieval town of Bonneuil-Matours, where they adopted a real French Poodle and named her Pifka. Upon completion of his military obligations, they returned to Harrisburg, PA, and lived with Peggy’s family. He started his first civilian job as a surveyor for the US Geological Survey operation. The pending arrival of their first son prompted him to aspire to more, and he was thrilled to be accepted into the new International MBA program at Thunderbird, later AIFT in Phoenix, AZ. Norman James (JB) Blanchard was born in January 195,8 and the family moved to Phoenix in a black VW Beetle, with Pikfa riding shotgun, Peg and the baby in the back, and the skis on the roof. Norm was recruited into the pharmaceutical industry by Upjohn, which led to many career moves and countries. Michele Marie Blanchard was born in London, Ontario, Canada, in November 1960, and shortly after, the family moved to Paris, France, for six years with Sprout Waldron, an animal pharmaceutical company based in Muncy, PA. A brief stint in Charles City, Iowa, to join Salisbury Labs led to an opportunity to open an office for them in London, England. He was proud to have started the new office and cultivated an entirely new market from scratch, backed by corporation’s trust and finances in Iowa. A huge entrepreneurial success. He then joined Smith-Kline and French, and took over European operations from Brussels, and eventually the world market to dominate the animal health industry. After 16 years abroad, Norm was brought back to corporate in Philadelphia, during the merger that created SmithKline Beckman, to build the new global Applebrook Animal Health HQ for SKB. Overseeing the world’s first symbiotic merger between SKB and Beecham, two compatible competitors, to form SmithKline Beecham is what Norm considered to be his professional crowning achievement. As a result, he was rewarded with a seat on the Board of Directors of SmithKline Beecham Global. He retired as President of WorldWide Operations, SKB Animal Health, and a member of the Board of Directors for SKB in 1993. He moved enthusiastically into retirement as an active volunteer for many charitable organizations and advisory boards, became a real estate developer, private pilot, and educated early adopter of emerging technologies. A lifelong talented pianist who played by ear, he was always happy to improvise on requests when he found a piano and an audience. His greatest recent joy at the end of his life, besides ice cream and chocolate cake, was laughing with his great-grandsons. Norm is preceded in death by his brother Duncan and his parents Norman and Edna. He is survived by Peggy, his loving wife of 71 years, his son JB and wife Jeanne of Brewster, MA, and his daughter Michele of Lancaster, PA. He has two married grandchildren: Norman Ross Blanchard to Emily Sanchez of Prospect, CT, and their son Norman Rafael “Rafa” Blanchard; and Amy Blanchard Heeren to Jake Heeren of Durham, ME, and their son Jonathan James “Jack” Heeren. Norm is also survived by his sister Barbara Bosselman of North Falmouth, MA, and a number of nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews, almost all of whom love ice cream because of Uncle Norm. There are many things we will miss about Norm, but his greatest trait was always enthusiastically making the best of whatever life had to offer, no matter how daunting. His generosity was legendary. We will do our best to carry on his extraordinary legacy. His favorite expression was “clear prop”, as the final pre-flight checkpoint. N six-niner Papa Alpha, you are clear for takeoff. At the family's convenience, there will be several Memorial Celebrations of life near family, in Norm’s favorite locations. In lieu of flower a memorial contribution in Norman’s name could be made to Hospice & Community Care,685 Good Dr, Lancaster, PA 17601, or www.hospiceandcommunitycare.org.