Obituary: John William Blanchard, 1983-2023

John lost his struggle for life on Thursday, November 16, 2023. He
passed away in the embrace of his loving parents. He was 40 years
old.

John was born in
Burlington on June 21, 1983, to Bob and Linda Blanchard. He graduated
from Essex High School and went on to get his degree from the
University of Kings College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a place that
John came to love very much.

John loved to cook,
and upon returning home from school, he began to work in the culinary
field and would go on to spend his working years at various
restaurants in the Burlington area.

Years after high
school, he ran into an old classmate, Viki Kramer, while both were
riding a local bus. They fell in love, and on Halloween in 2015, they
were married and purchased a home in Essex Junction. In June of 2018,
they welcomed their daughter, Luna, into the world. She was the
center of John’s universe from that time forward. His love for her
is hard to put into words, and she loved her Papa so deeply. The joy
and affection that they shared whenever they were together is one of
the lasting memories that we will all cherish.

John’s deep
booming voice and imposing physical presence masked the fact that he
was an extremely sensitive person. Slights and injuries that would
roll off the backs of most and be quickly forgotten were carried by
John, resulting in an inner turmoil that we still cannot fully
comprehend. John was tough as nails and strong-willed, but that was
not enough to enable him to overcome the alcohol use disorder that he
struggled with for many years.

John had an amazing
intellect. He held few people close and did not suffer fools gladly.
If he loved you, he loved you hard.

He was often great
fun and had a wonderful, if unusual, sense of humor. His witty barbs
and jokes, largely reserved for his inner circle, were a source of
delight and entertainment. He could crack up a room with his great
impersonations. He and his brother James would do hilarious bits from
SNL and the Simpsons whenever James came home. The fun they shared
together and the laughter they provided are memories we will all
never forget.

John loved all
things Batman, Japanese Manga novels and anything German. He mostly
enjoyed the simple pleasures of life: tending his small garden,
incorporating the hot chili peppers from it into various dishes he
concocted, and, of course, cooking and grilling for his family. He
loved sunsets over Lake Champlain, hiking in the woods, philosophy,
horsing around with James, harmonious rock ballads, Burger King, his
custom designed sneakers, his firepit, long scenic drives with Viki,
their cat, Guts, and trips to the park with Luna. He had a deep and
abiding hatred for microwave ovens.

John always wore
athletic sweat bands on his wrists from his time working in kitchens.
They became his signature look even after his kitchen days were over.

Holidays were
special times with John. Luna’s birthdays of course, were always a
big deal. Halloween, which was also John and Viki’s anniversary, as
well as his mom’s birthday, was a day that everyone looked forward
to for months and celebrated with many memorable costumes,
decorations and trick or treating with Luna. John’s cooking skills
played a great role in getting the Thanksgiving dinner on the table
at his mom and dad’s house every year. Christmas was a special
time, especially after Luna came along. For many years John would
play the role of Santa, putting on his Santa hat, doling out the
presents and trying to keep the chaos organized.

On September 28,
2023, John suffered a catastrophic medical event, from which he never
really recovered. Except for a few days back at home, he spent the
last seven weeks of his life in the hospital, putting up a mighty
struggle for his life. By his side during those final weeks were his
mom and dad, along with Viki, whose love for him and loyalty to him
will never be forgotten. His loving brother James came from
California to be by John’s side during his time in Boston. His
support and love for John were so wonderful. John’s friend Ian kept
in touch from a long distance right to the end. He was John’s best
and truest friend. It’s so sad that after everything John went
through that it had to end this way, but his body was just too
damaged for him to win his battle.

Left to cherish his
memory are his parents; his wife, Viki; his brother, James; and most
of all, Luna. All that everyone did to keep John going was because we
wanted them to have more time together, but it just wasn’t meant to
be.

John is survived by
numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.

Special thanks go
out to the staff, especially the nurses on Miller 6 and at the ICU of
the University of Vermont Medical Center and to the nurses and
doctors who cared for him at the Massachusetts General Hospital ICU,
where he spent the last month of his life. Also, thanks to those who
give blood. John received numerous transfusions as he fought his
battle. The last seven weeks have been incredibly difficult, but
John’s suffering is finally over.

Calling hours will
be at the Ready Funeral Home at 261 Shelburne Road in Burlington,
from 3 to 5 p.m., on Saturday, November 25, 2023. A private committal
service will be held later at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers,
please make a donation in John’s memory to the Humane Society of Chittenden County, 142 Kindness Ct., South Burlington, VT 05403, or
the Vermont Land Trust, 8 Bailey Ave., Montpelier, VT 05602.

There is a hole in
our hearts that will never be mended. Things will never be the same
without him. We have lost a great man.

We pray that he has
been lifted up to a better place and that we will see him again.

Rest in peace, John.
We love you.

This article appears in Nov 15-21, 2023.