We’re continuing our series looking back at the life of Eileen Horner Blakely, who died December 30th at the age of 96.
Eileen met her husband, Walter Earl Blakely, during the Korean War. She was serving in the Navy in Washington, DC. He was a career Navy man, and retired in 1953. She was discharged the same year, after serving a total of five years in the military.
Until her friend Barbara Johnson sent us her obituary, we had never seen this photo of Eileen and Walter as “Bonnie and Clyde.” But it’s a perfect way to capture her spirit and humor.
After their Navy service, the couple moved to Clarkston, Washington, and then to Grants Pass, Oregon, in 1958. She lived there until she died.
Eileen worked for the Siskiyou National Forest (in the engineering section) for 25 years. She was also a member of WAVES National. Walter died in 1987.
Hinges of History 