Dr. Richard "Dick" G. Blank

Rev. Dr. Richard Glenn "Dick" Blank of Forest, Virginia, was born in Gap, Pennsylvania, on January 6, 1935, the third child of Aaron and Martha Blank. He married Gladys Marie Wentling on June 14, 1958. Richard passed into the arms of His Savior on September 29, 2025, at Noah's Landing Hospice House after a struggle with thyroid cancer, diagnosed in January of this year. He was preceded in death by his parents (Aaron and Martha Blank), his sister (Betty Martin), his wife (Gladys Blank), and his daughter (Maryann Blank Lee). He is survived by his brother (Lester Blank); two children (Glenn Blank, married to Susan Blank, and Bradley Blank, married to Heather Blank); three grandchildren (Aaron Blank, Lenore Blank, and Andrew Blank); and son-in-law (Ron Lee).

Richard placed his faith in Christ at the age of 12 and answered the call to ministry at 17. He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Bob Jones University in 1957 and his Master of Divinity degree at Lancaster Theological Seminary in 1962. From 1957 through 1963, he simultaneously pastored the Evangelical United Brethren Churches in Tremont and Barry, Pennsylvania. He was then called by the Turbeville Southern Methodist Church in South Carolina, where he served for the next twenty-six years.

During his ministry in Turbeville, Richard produced the "Moments in the Word" radio broadcast from Manning, SC. He was active in the Ruritan Club, elected president of the Turbeville chapter in 1967, 1968, and 1977. He served on the Clarendon County Mental Health Board and the Board of Directors of Brookland Plantation Home for Boys in Orangeburg, SC. He was the Youth Director and Camp Director for the Eastern Conference of the Southern Methodist Church from 1969 through 1984. From 1984 to 1990 he served as Vice-President of the Southern Methodist Eastern Conference. In 1989 he earned the Doctor of Ministry degree in Pastoral Counseling at Luther Rice Seminary. He served as Adjunct Professor at Southern Methodist College, Orangeburg, SC, from 1988 through 1998.

Dr. Blank was elected president of the General Conference of the Southern Methodist Church in 1990. He served two four-year terms as president. During the same time, he also served on the Board of Directors of Southern Methodist College. After his two terms as president, he taught Sermon Preparation and Pastoral Counseling and served as Director of Institutional Advancement at Southern Methodist College until the spring of 2025. He continued serving actively with Mrs. Blank in the Turbeville Southern Methodist Church, singing in the choir, and teaching Bible studies, until they moved to Forest, VA in 2018. There they faithfully attended Forest Baptist Church in Forest, VA.

The family wishes to especially thank Linda Coulter for her loving support and care during both Dad's and Mom’s illnesses, as well as Joanne, Tasheika, and all the staff at Noah's Landing and James River Hospice.

A memorial service will be held on November 15, 2025, at 10:00 am at the Turbeville Southern Methodist Church in Turbeville, SC, with visitation starting at 9:00 am. Livestream of the service will be available on the Turbeville Southern Methodist Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/turbevillesouthern.methodistchurch . In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Southern Methodist College, 541 Broughton Street, Orangeburg, SC, 29115, or the Forest Baptist Church building fund, 1313 Two Church Lane, Forest, VA, 24551. A Richard and Gladys Blank Tribute Page has been set up on Facebook. Everyone is invited to share special memories on this page. Memories may also be sent to Glenn Blank via gblank@centurylink.net or 13239 Chicago St, Elberta, AL, 36530. Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Bedford is assisting the family.  Floyd Funeral Home of Olanta, SC is providing this obituary as a courtesy to the family.