Harold Mercer Blanchard Jr., 87, of Arrowsic, Maine formerly of New Vernon, N.J., died from complications from Parkinson’s Disease on July 24, 2021.

Harold was born on Aug. 6, 1933, the son of Harold Mercer and Alice (Bittles) Blanchard, both of Newark, N.J.
He is survived by his loving wife of 54 years. Mary Louise Blanchard; his sons, Scott and Will; daughter-in-law Michelle; granddaughter Sophia; sister-in-law Ann Wall and husband Frank; niece Alison Keily; nephew Jay Wall and many beloved cousins.

He was a proud graduate of Newark Academy and Williams College where he received a B.A. in Economics and was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He served as class president and class secretary, and as a member of the executive committee of the Williams College Alumni Association. He also earned a master’s degree in Management from Pace University.

Known as Mercer to many, he was a Cold War veteran and a retired Captain of the U.S. Air Force where he spent nearly seven years as an intercept director and weapons controller, and commanded three radar installations in Hokkaido, Japan. He worked 25 years for New England Telephone and AT&T in various management positions before his second career as vice president of the Independent College Fund of New Jersey, raising funds for New Jersey’s private colleges. He had a lifetime of service to the communities in which he lived that included being elected to the School Board, establishing and running the Recycling Program, volunteering for the Kezar Association, Maine Maritime Museum, N.J. and Maine United Way, and the Republican Party.

Mercer was a very caring and compassionate man, a true gentleman who loved his country, Maine and Kezar Lake where he was a third-generation summer resident. Not only was he an avid boater and explorer of the Maine woods, he was a raconteur who delighted his friends with humorous Maine stories. He cherished his wife deeply, was very proud of his two son’s accomplishments and enjoyed watching his granddaughter grow up. Harold Mercer Blanchard left a positive mark on this world and will forever be loved and missed by so many.

There will be a Remembrance Celebration on Aug. 11, 2021, at 1 p.m. at the Severance Lodge Club in Center Lovell, Maine

In lieu of owers, contributions may be made to: Kezar LakeWatershed Association, P.O. Box 88, Lovell, ME 04051

To share your thoughts and condolences with the family, please visit www.desmondfuneralhomes.com