David P. Blaker

David Blaker, beloved husband, father and friend, passed away on February 11, 2010. He is survived by Marilyn, his bride of 55 years. Their children are Dan Blaker and his wife Jimmie Carol, his daughters April Rayborn and her husband Robert, and Dawn Clabough and her husband Doug. Grandchildren and their spouses are Melody Lozano and her husband Joel, Jonathan Blaker and his wife Nancy, Anne Howard and her husband Steve, Ryan Hiner, Kimberly Rayborn, Rob Rayborn, Blake Hiner and Tad Clabough. Great-grandchildren are Jake and Jacie Lozano, with another great-granddaughter due to be born in June to Jonathan and Nancy Blaker. Dave was very happy to learn of this expected birth just before he died. David was born in Seattle, WA. to Percy and Maybelle LeVake Blaker on April 21, 1918. He began his work career at Boeing during WW II, building B-17s and serving as liaison to Northrop Grumman Aircraft in Los Angeles. He later served in the US Navy. After the war he was employed by Western Geophysical in Los Angeles, who transferred him to work in the Permian Basin oil reserves in West Texas. He later accepted a new position with Smith Bits, where he was assigned to West Texas and New Mexico as their distributor. Offices were established in Odessa, TX, Hobbs, NM and Farmington, NM, which gave him a good excuse to buy and fly a Beechcraft Bonanza airplane. During that time Dave also developed, patented and manufactured a piece of drilling equipment that was sold along with the drilling bits. Always the entrepreneur, Dave and a partner were challenged by purchase of a rural independent telephone exchange in Oklahoma, which soon expanded to three telephone exchanges in that state. Modernization of the facilities, complete with state-of-the-art equipment and underground lines was completed over a period of a few years. The exchanges were sold in 1969, at which time the Blakers moved to Houston where they have lived ever since. During that time, they established a medical personnel recruitment firm, one of the first in the country to concentrate on the medical field. The company is presently owned by their daughter, Dawn Clabough. Dave and Marilyn loved to travel worldwide, and spent many happy trips with family and friends. His favorite location was Bora Bora in Tahiti, which they visited four times. He also loved classical music which he enjoyed sharing with friends. He later developed a talent for woodworking, making children’s toys in the Buckingham workshop. Dave was a member of the Memorial Church of Christ where he served as a Deacon and an Elder for many years. He was also a volunteer Chaplain in the Texas Medical Center, working at The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR) and Texas Childrens Hospital. Funeral services for Mr. Blaker are scheduled for Sunday, February 14, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. in the Wooster Funeral Home Chapel with Joe Terrell officiating. Interment will be in the Foster Cemetery under the direction of Wooster Funeral Home. You may send a condolence to the family at www.woosterfuneralhomes.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Lifeline Chaplaincy/Compassionate Touch, 1415 Southmore Blvd, Houston, TX 77004-5845, or to the American Cancer Society.

David P. Blaker

April 21, 1918 - February 11, 2010