Paul Daniel Blankenship

Our beloved ”Daddy” passed away suddenly on September 5, 2025, at the age of 74. Paul Daniel Blankenship was born on November 9, 1950, to Eugene and Lillie Blankenship in Vidor, Texas. He was raised and attended school in Vidor. Paul enlisted in the United States Army and served proudly during the Vietnam War in the 545th Transportation Company. There, he learned to drive trucks in the transportation unit, which would become the catalyst of his professional career.

After being honorably discharged from the Army, Paul returned to Vidor where he met our “Momma,” Clara, who was a friend of Paul’s sister. He instantly knew he had to spend his life with Clara. They married in 1971 and were inseparable until she died in 2016.

A truck driver by profession, Paul saw the country that he loved through the windshield of the truck while growing his family and working hard. Paul and Clara had four children: Daniel Ray, Lori Ann, Samantha Gayle, and Adam Paul. He worked hard, but always made time to throw the football after work with his kids. He taught us many things. Great music from a mix tape with the handwritten words, “Love Bug.” We thought “I Saw the Light,” by Hank Williams, was located in a Hymnal. “Joy to the World,” by Three Dog Night was sung riding next to him in his S10 Chevy pickup. He loved to sing, “On the Wings of a Beautiful Dove, I’ll Fly Away to Heaven Above,” which, by all research, seems to be a song he made up during his many hours on the road—inspired by “Sparkling Brown Eyes”, by the Wilburn Brothers.

He loved football, especially the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Longhorns, and Vidor Pirates. He was loyal and straightforward, never wanting for himself, giving all to his wife and children without complaint.

You didn't need GPS; just call Daddy, and he could tell you instinctively where you were located, down to landmarks and speed traps. Life is going to be heavier without our true compass. He found joy in being” Paw Paw.” His grandchildren were his everything, and he left a piece of himself with each one. He loved spoiling them with sweet treats and dollar bills. His love of coffee, which he was never without, has been passed down to his grandchildren. Three o’clock coffee time will never be the same without him. He spent time with each of them individually, making them feel loved and as if they were the most important person in the world. Paul was preceded in death by his parents, Eugene and Lillie Blankenship, and his siblings, Jessie, Clifton, Samuel, and Jerry Blankenship. Infant Son Daniel Ray Blankenship and wife Clara Jones Blankenship. He is survived by his daughter, Lori Losey, and her husband, Todd, of Vidor; his daughter, Samantha McCormick, and her husband, Christopher, of Beaumont; his son, Adam Blankenship, and his wife, Tiffani, of Lumberton; and grandchildren, Brock and Luke Losey of Vidor; Meghan and Benjamin McCormick of Beaumont; and Cole, Brady and Audri Blankenship of Lumberton; his brothers William Blankenship of Humble, Thomas Blankenship of Kountze, and Patrick Blankenship of Vidor; his sisters, Lillie Masters, Sarah Jones, and Rebecca Markham of Lumberton, Nancy Vercher of Vidor, and Mary Hammock of Silsbee.

1 Corinthians 13:7: "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." Paul’s memory will endure because the love we felt from him was larger than his earthly life.