Marilou Blanford, 87, of Owensboro, passed peacefully in her home surrounded by her loving family on Sunday, February 10, 2019. She was born March 7, 1931 in McLean County to the late Noble J. and Eunice Tucker Decker.
Marilou spent most of her adult life living in Owensboro with her husband of 57 years, Joseph Burnell Blanford. She worked at General Electric after graduating from Jenkins Business School. She retired after 27 years of service for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, in the Probation and Parole office. She was a charter member of the Beta Rho Chapter of the Epsilon Sigma Alpha philanthropic sorority where she was elected state President in 1971. She and her husband attended Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Marilou especially enjoyed spending time at Kentucky Lake, gardening, quilting, line dancing at the Senior Center, and she never missed a UK basketball game. She also enjoyed cooking and baking for her family and friends. Gatherings will not be the same without her famous cole slaw and her egg nog at the holidays. She was a wonderful mother and grandmother and will be missed. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband.
Survivors include her daughters, Paula (Bobby) Renfrow of Buford, and Cindy (Terry) McDaniel of Owensboro; a son, Bud (Teresa) Blanford of Owensboro; grandchildren, Chris (Tanya) Renfrow,Jared (Amanda) McDaniel, Lisa Blanford and Lucas Blanford, all of Owensboro, Laurie (Jason) Chapman of Central City, Patrick (Tricia) Casey of Pleasureville, Terry (Mindy) Blanford of Newburgh, IN, and Hillary Wooledge of Lincoln, Nebraska; eleven great-grandchildren; aunt, Reba Hinton of Sacramento; sister-in-law, Beverly (Brad) Hamilton; brothers-in-law, D B (Mary B) Blanford and Gene (Marlene) Blanford; a dear friend, Preston Nall and his family; several cousins; and nieces and nephews.
Services will be at 11:00 am on Thursday, February 14, 2019 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Burial will follow in Resurrection Cemetery. Visitation is from 3:00 pm until 8:00 pm on Wednesday with prayers at 7:00 pm and from 9:00 am until 10:30 am on Thursday James H. Davis Funeral Home & Crematory.