Frank Arthur Dr. Blazich, Sr.

Dr. Frank Arthur Blazich, Sr., Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Emeritus of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University, passed away suddenly on Monday, December 16, 2013. Born July 7, 1945 in New York City, New York, he spent his childhood on Smithtown, Long Island. A letterman in soccer and wrestling, he also played trombone and tuba in band in high school, and graduated from Smithtown High School in 1964. In 2003, he was inducted into the Smithtown High School Athletic Hall of Fame. In November 1965, he received his draft notice and was inducted into the United States Army. In February 1966, he joined Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division at An Khe, Republic of Vietnam. Assigned as the ammunition bearer for an M60 machine gun in the heavy weapons platoon, he participated in multiple air assaults on enemy positions, and participated in Operation Masher/White Wing, receiving shrapnel wounds from mortar blasts. On the afternoon of June 25th while exiting a UH-1 helicopter at Tuy Hoa, he received a gunshot wound to his left hand, for which he received the Purple Heart. Evacuated back to the United States, he received medical treatment at Naval Hospital St. Albans, New York City, New York. The severe nerve damage from his wound resulted in the removal of his middle finger and severely limited use of his left hand for the remainder of his life. Informed he would be returned to Vietnam to finish his tour, he wrote to Senator Robert F. Kennedy for advice. Senator Kennedys office initiated a medical review board of his injuries and on April 10, 1967 he was medically retired from the Army as a Specialist Fourth Class. In addition to his Purple Heart, he received the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Republic of Vietnam Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with palm, Good Conduct Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Marksman Badge for rifle and pistol, Air Assault Badge, and Conspicuous Service Cross from the State of New York. After his military service, he entered Farmingdale State College (SUNY) and received his Associates Degree in 1969 in Agronomy. In 2012, Farmingdale presented him with the Centurion Award for his career achievements. Finding pleasure in his work and studies, he moved to Vermont and received his Bachelors of Science degree Magna Cum Laude and Masters of Science degree in plant and soil science from the University of Vermont in 1971 and 1973, respectively. At his time at Vermont, he received the Borden Agricultural Award, the Lewis Ralph Jones Award, and the Vermont Garden Club Award. In 2011, the University of Vermont presented him with the Outstanding Alumni Award from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. In 1974, he moved to State College, Pennsylvania to pursue his doctoral studies at Penn State University. That summer, he met and began dating Miss Joan April Wooden of Wilmington, Delaware. They married on July 10, 1976 at Pennsylvania Furnace, PA. In 1977, he completed his doctorate in horticulture and took a position as the resident scientist at the Virginia Truck and Ornamental Research Station at Virginia Beach, VA. There, in 1978, Frank and April welcomed their daughter, Joan Michelle Blazich into the world. With this addition to the family, he moved the family to Raleigh in 1978 and accepted the position as Assistant Professor of Horticulture at North Carolina State University (NCSU). In 1981, his son, Frank Arthur Blazich, Jr., was born and he was promoted to Associate Professor. The following year, he began volunteering at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences as a volunteer teacher before being appointed as Associate Curator of Education in 1986. He continued to volunteer with the museum for the remainder of his life, teaching his last class only a week ago. He received service awards from the museum in 1987, 1992, 1996, 2001, 2006, and 2011. During his career at NCSU, he taught courses in basic and advanced plant propagation while furthering his research to the benefit of North Carolina and the Southeasts nurserymen. Promoted to Professor in 1986, Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor in 2006, he retired in 2012 and was named emeritus. He served on practically every departmental, college, graduate school, and university committee. He was the faculty advisor for the Iota Chapter of Pi Alpha Xi (Honor Society for Horticulture) and served as president and on the executive committee of Gamma Sigma Delta (Honor Society of Agriculture). He also held memberships in Phi Epsilon Phi (Honorary Botanical Fraternity), Phi Kappa Phi (National Academic Honor Society), Phi Theta Kappa (National Junior College Honor Society), and Sigma Xi (Scientific Research Society). His professional memberships included the American Horticultural Society, American Society for Horticultural Science (National and Southern Region), the International Plant Propagators’ Society (Eastern Region), Southern Nursery Association, and Turfgrass Council of North Carolina. With the American Society for Horticultural Science, he was the science editor for the societys journal from 1999 to 2002, while serving on multiple society committees. In 1998, he was named a fellow of the society. He advised over 33 graduate students, 12 of whom followed him into academia. During his career he authored or co-authored over 130 refereed journal articles, 21 book chapters, and approximately 400 popular and trade press articles, and even shaded a U.S. Patent in 2000 for the lyophilizing of fungi. His academic and scientific work received regional and national recognition. In 1990, he received the Porter Henegar Memorial Award for Horticultural Research from the Southern Nursery Association. In 1992, he received the Distinguished Achievement Award for Nursery Crops from the American Society for Horticultural Science. The American Association of Nurserymen presented him with the Norman J. Coleman Award for Outstanding Nursery Research in 1996. Phi Alpha Xi named him a national fellow in 2007, and the state of North Carolina named him to the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 2011. In 2012, he received the Dr. H. Marc Cathey Award from the American Horticultural Society, and was awarded the Outstanding Researcher Award from the American Society for Horticultural Science. An accomplished scholar, he enjoyed his time away from the office. The Outer Banks became his home away from home, fishing from Currituck to the Core Banks, filling walls with citations for outstanding catches. He played soccer with his son, coached and played intramural softball, bowled at Western Lanes with a faculty bowling league, read prolifically on military and American history, traveled across the East Coast with his wife, and found new adventures in the Florida Keys. History became a great hobby, and he constantly collected bits and pieces of Americana with his family. Side interests included gardening at home, metal detecting with his son, going to sporting events with his daughter, and constant fishing trips with his wife. He took great pride in watching his son and daughter earn doctorate degrees in history, music, and law and begin their careers in federal and state service. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Mrs. Joan April Wooden Blazich of Raleigh; his daughter Joan Michelle Blazich, DMA, JD, and son-in-law the Honorable Brian K. Flatley, JD, of Holly Springs; his son, Frank A. Blazich, Jr., PhD, of Oxnard, CA; his half-sister Michelle Scarcella of San Diego, CA; his first cousin Josephine Roddy of Wilmington, DE; his sister-in-law Marianne Blazich of Smithtown, NY; niece Deborah Page and family of Smithtown, NY; nephew John Blazich and family of Hicksville, NY; and niece Joanne Blazich of Smithtown, NY. He is predeceased by his parents, John Blazich and Mary Scarcella of New York; his brother John Blazich, Jr., of New York; and his half-brothers Jerry and Anthony Scarcella. A celebration of Dr. Blazichs life will be held Monday, December 23, at 1:00 pm at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, 831 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh. The family will receive friends from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Frank A. and Joan April Blazich Graduate Scholarship Award, the Raleigh chapter of the Salvation Army, and Safe Haven for Cats.