Edenton, N.C. —Thomas Jefferson Blanchard, 83, of 1802 Arapahoe Trail, died Monday, Dec. 10, 2007, in his home.

Mr. Blanchard was born in Chowan County, N.C., and was the son of the late Charles Watson and Susie Chappell Blanchard.

An Army veteran of World War II, he saw action in Normandy and Northern France and received both the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon and the World War II Victory Ribbon. After his active duty service, he served with the U.S. Army Reserves and later retired from the Army National Guard of Virginia in Richmond. He was a member of Ballard’s Bridge Baptist Church.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Helen Twine, and brothers, Watson, William and Raymond Blanchard.

Surviving are his wife, Mary Long Blanchard; three step-daughters, Brenda Hood and husband Warren of Oakland, Calif., Sandra Kalina and husband David of Summerville, S.C., and Deborah Brady and husband Chris of Smithfield; a stepson, Bill R. Beach and wife Christine of Norfolk; a sister-in-law, Mary Blanchard of Suffolk; five step-grandchildren and five step-great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. in the chapel of Miller Funeral Home and Crematory, 735 Virginia Road, Edenton, N.C., with the Rev. Kenneth Wallace officiating.

Burial with military honors will follow at 2 p.m. in Holly Lawn Cemetery, Suffolk.

Friends may join the family today from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the funeral home and all other times at the residence.