Obituary of Richard H. Blackmer

Richard (Dick) Blackmer passed away peacefully at the Glendale Home, Glenville, NY on November 17, 2016. He was 87. The son of Geraldine and Hardin Blackmer, Dick was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon and later moved with the family to Redwood City, California. He attended Stanford University and graduated in 1951. While in college, he earned membership in Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi. After graduating from college, Dick was hired by General Electric. There he participated in various advanced and creative engineering programs and was appointed engineering manager for the Gemini Space Craft Fuel Cell System. Later, while with the medical development operation at GE, he worked on the development of membrane oxygen enrichers. He held numerous patents through GE and privately. Subsequently, Dick was co-founder of the Oxygen Enrichment Company (OECO) located on Maxon Road in Schenectady. This company, through a license from GE, manufactured machines which provided moist, oxygen-rich air to the homebound who needed supplemental oxygen. Over the years, Dick was an active member in community organizations including Rotary, the Schenectady Light Opera Company and the committee to develop the Mohawk Bicycle Trail. He was also a leader with the Boy Scouts, Alplaus Troop 36. As a long-time member of the First Reformed Church of Schenectady, he served as a Senior Elder and chair of the building and grounds committee. Dick enjoyed adventure and the outdoors, camping, bow and arrow hunting, white water canoeing, windsurfing and skiing with family and friends. He also enjoyed music, from jazz to opera, and dancing with the Benedicts Dance Club. Surviving Dick are his wife, Roberta, their children Paul (Pamela) Blackmer, John Blackmer, and Julia (Gerald) Brannon, and his brother David. He has five grandchildren and a step-granddaughter of whom he was very fond. The family wishes to thank the people at Glendale Home who cared lovingly for Dick for nearly two years. A memorial service will be held at the First Reformed Church, 8 North Church St. on Saturday, November 26 at 1 pm. Memorial contributions may be made to the First Reformed Church or the Schenectady City Mission.