San Diego County Senior Softball Association Tuesday League

With profound sadness, we acknowledge the passing of Larry Blankenship on Nov 24, 2019 at age 95, after a long & illustrious life as a husband, father, seaman, and softball enthusiast.  Larry was a true San Diego Senior Softball Legend, who played and managed in most all of the San Diego County Senior Softball Leagues for over 3 decades. Larry also played on some of the Top Gun Senior Softball tournament teams in the years past.

Larry was a continual fixture & integral part of the Monday-Wednesday-Friday La Mesa Senior Softball League, and that La Mesa League paid Larry a well deserved tribute, by naming their field in honor of Larry.  Larry was also a long time player and manager at the Saturday Dana Senior Softball League.

While Larry's true softball pride & joy, was his "AAA" division Team Blankenship, playing in the Tuesday morning SDCSSA League.

Larry built up his "AAA" team over many long years of effort and commitment. Starting from a rag-tag bunch who rarely won many games for several years, which he eventually molded into a "AAA" league juggernaut during his final 5 years in the league (November 2014 thru October 2019).

During that full 5-year stretch combined (15 consecutive seasons) for Larry's "AAA" Team Blankenship, they won 8 separate Season Championships, including 4 titles in a row during one stretch, and they also had 3 seasons with "Runner-up" finishes.  And as the Softball Gods would have it, Larry's team won the "AAA" League Championship in October 2019, in his final season managing his team in the SDCSSA League.

Larry will definitely be missed by everyone that knew him, and especially all of those in the Senior Softball community.

Larry's obituary from the San Diego Union Tribune - Nov 2019:

Larry still playing his favorite sport at age 89 in the Saturday Dana League in 2013:

Larry at his 90th Birthday Party in Dec 2013 at Santee SportsPlex USA:


Larry with his first ever "AAA" League Championship winning team in February 2015:


Larry at his 92nd Birthday Party in Dec 2015 at Santee SportsPlex USA:


Larry at his 94th Birthday Party in Dec 2017 at Santee SportsPlex USA:
 

 

Larry at his 95th Birthday Party in Dec 2018 at a La Mesa restaurant:


Larry with his eighth and final "AAA" League Championship team in October 2019:



A great article published in SSUSA's Senior Softball News magazine:
(written by Carl Gustafson, previous manager from "AAA" Blind Dogs and Lionshead teams)



Two final pictures of Larry, that will hopefully bring a smile to your face:
   

FOR MORE GREAT PICTURES OF LARRY AND HIS TEAMS, PLEASE SEE LARRY'S PAGE, IN OUR WEBSITE'S "PHOTO ALBUMS", BY CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW:

http://www.leaguelineup.com/photoalbum.asp?url=sdcountyseniorsoftball&sid=769234551&photocatid=330618

.