Tom Blancett
Dear Family, Mary, Matthew, Laurie, Ryan, Mark, Melissa & Grandkids,
It is with deep sorrow that I send my sympathy with the passing of a close friend. While our lives took separate paths and I left Chanute years ago, I will always remember Randy.
Randy and I graduated from CHS in ’68, but we go way back to Hutton Elementary. We grew up together in Chanute and I have so many fond memories of my childhood days with Randy. We were your typical boys in a small Kansas town. We celebrated the 4th shooting bottle rockets at each other, made our own firecracker pipe guns, hunted and fished together, threw snowballs at trucks passing through town, and rode our bikes all over the city. Randy would hang out at my 11 East 8th home when we weren’t on the move. It was fun times. But the most memorable adventure in our youth was when we made the front page of the Chanute Tribune in the 60’s. I can’t remember what grade we were in but I still recall the trick we pulled off.
While at recess at Hutton School we noticed a stray dog wondering the playground and decided to take it in. What we didn’t realize was the Chanute dog catcher was on the hunt as well trying to catch the poor animal. Randy and I decided to hide the animal to prevent the local animal control officer from impounding it. Well, somehow our humane exploit made it to the local news reporter and we were interviewed. We named the dog, Chopper, and we were featured with photos and an article, as I recall. Now, I may have gotten some of the facts incorrect since so many years have passed, but I clearly remember Chopper and us teaming up to give the Dog Catcher a real challenge. Just thought I’d share my relationship with this great guy, a friend, your husband, father and grandfather with all of you.
Randy was a dear friend and I will miss him!
Sincerely,
Tom Blancett
Chesapeake, VA
