Gerald Blinkhorn

Blinkhorn, Gerald “Jerry”, 80, died Saturday December 1st, 2018 at Rhode Island Hospital. He was the beloved husband of Amalia A. (DeVecchis) Blinkhorn. Born in Providence, he was the son of the late Ernest and Jannette (Levesque) Blinkhorn.

Jerry became a Teamster in 1964 organizing Roger Williams Grocery where he served as the shop steward. In 1977, he was elected Business Agent for Teamsters Local 251. He served as a Business Agent until 1982 when he was elected Secretary Treasurer and served in that capacity until his retirement in 1995. His career in the Teamsters was filled with a multitude of accomplishments. He served on the Eastern Region Automobile Transporters negotiating and grievance and arbitration panel, National Automobile Transporters negotiating committee, the UPS New England Supplemental and the National UPS negotiating and grievance and arbitration panels, the New England Supplemental and Eastern Region negotiating and arbitration panels. He served as the chairman of the Teamsters Local 251 Health and Welfare Fund. He helped build the fund to one of the strongest and healthiest funds in the country, providing the Gold Card of benefits for his members, second to none. Jerry was an Army Veteran.

Besides his wife, he is survived by two sons, Anthony Blinkhorn and his wife LeeAnne, and Andrew Blinkhorn and his partner Dawn Conetta, nine grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, and a sister, Jacqueline St. Onge. He was the brother of the late Janet French and Paula Blinkhorn.

Jerry’s visitation will be held Thursday from 8:15AM to 9:45AM in the Robbins Funeral Home, 2251 Mineral Spring Ave., North Providence, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30AM in St. Thomas Church, 65 Fruit Hill Ave., Providence. Burial with military honors will be in the Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery, Exeter.