Kenneth Bland, Sr.

Kenneth R. Bland, “Ken”, age 89, of Milton went to be with his Lord and Savior on March 19, 2012. Ken was born in Colorado on March 3, 1923 into the loving embrace of the Reverend W.E. Bland and his wife, Elba King Bland. He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Royce and Dale Bland, all of Rogers, Arkansas. He is survived by his loving wife, Jo Bland of Milton, FL; son, Ken Bland, Jr. (Kay) of Little Rock, AR; daughter, Becky Anderson (Mark) of Norfolk, VA; grandson, Ricky Anderson (Christen) of Silver Spring, MD; granddaughter, Carrie Barbier (Luke) of Chesapeake, VA; and soon to be first great-grandchild. He is also survived by his sister, Ina Neil of Lowell, AR; and brothers, Denver Bland and Rex Bland, both of Wichita, Kansas; and Gene Bland of Rogers, AR. Ken grew up in the rural splendor of LaRue and Clifty, Arkansas where he and his brothers hunted, fished, and cared for their pets and farm animals all the while growing strong in his Baptist faith. In 1941 Ken became part of America’s greatest generation and joined the United States Navy. His first duty assignment was to reinforce and defend the islands of Hawaii immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor. His effort, along with his fellow 19 year olds, was highly effective as the enemy never returned. Ken married the love of his life, Mary Jo Ford of Rogers, Arkansas, on June 16, 1946. While raising their young family in Rogers, he was employed at The American National Bank for eight years and then returned to the Navy in 1954 where he was able to continue to serve and defend his country in the field of aviation. He served during the Cold War in both the Pacific and Atlantic as an EC-121 crewmember where he flew in the Project Birds Eye Mission. His participation helped to provide continuous airborne radar and photographic surveillance from Adak, Alaska to Thule, Greenland guarding against Soviet aggression. Together for 65 years, Ken and Jo raised their family as they successfully navigated through life’s many challenges and adventures. Following his Navy career, Ken and Jo settled in Milton, Florida where he employed his skill as an aircraft mechanic at Whiting Field, Milton and NADEP, Pensacola. He was proud to be a member of the Benefactors’ Circle at the Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola and a deacon at Pine Terrace Baptist Church of Milton. Visitation will be held Monday, March 26 at 3:00 p.m. at Lewis Funeral Home with services to follow at 4:00 p.m. A private family burial will be held at Barrancas National Cemetery on Tuesday, March 27 at 12:30 p.m. Memorials may be made to Pine Terrace Baptist Church Building Fund (6212 Pine Blossom Road, Milton, FL 32510) or to a favorite charity.