Henry Fremont Blake collection

Henry Fremont "Jack" Blake was born on April 21, 1912, and passed away on February 17, 2006, in Tallahassee. Due to illness, he resided in Tallahassee, FL, for several years prior to his death. He was a native Floridian, born in Jacksonville, but lived in Palatka from a very young age. Jack, as he was known to all, worked with his father and brothers, Robert and Wilmer, at Blake's Inc., a wholesale dry goods business and later began his own vending business, Vend-A-Pack. He was an active community leader, serving as president of Rotary and the Palatka Chamber of Commerce and was a member of First Baptist Church. He was also a WW II veteran, serving in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific aboard the USS Tyrrell (AKA-80) as a Store Keeper 2nd Class. Henry Fremont Blake entered service on November 20, 1943 and was discharged on March 8, 1946. The U.S.S. Tyrrell participated in the initial landings on Okinawa on April 1, 1945.  A kamikaze struck the Tyrrell on April 2, 1945, causing some damage. In September 1945, the Tyrrell arrived at Nagasaki, Japan to disembark troops and supplies. It was here that Blake photographed the devastation which resulted from the Atom Bomb dropped on August 9, 1945. After the war, he enjoyed a number of hobbies and interests that he pursued over the course of his life which included fishing, hunting, flying airplanes, woodworking and bridge, integrity, hard work, service to his community and devoted to his family characterized his life. He was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Mary Evelyn Blake, in 1991, and by his second wife, Marjorie Dillingham in 2003.

Note written by Palatka Daily News Obituary, February 22, 2006