George Blomquist

George Blomquist, Jr., 88, of Lexington, passed away October 9, 2013, at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m., Saturday, October 12th, at First United Methodist Church 310 S. Main Street, Lexington. The family will receive friends immediately after the service in the church fellowship hall. A private interment will be held at a later date. George leaves his loving wife, Natalie Neal Blomquist; son, Paul Neal Blomquist and daughter-in-law Pamela Rogers Blomquist; daughter, Shelley Blomquist Johns and son-in-law, Dr. Russell Johns; and his four beloved grandchildren: Amanda & Elizabeth Blomquist and Matthew & Benjamin Johns. His brother, Madison Blomquist and his sister, Ann Hood, and her husband, Dr. James Hood, also survive him. George was born August 9th, 1925 in Georgetown, Texas where he attended Southwestern University, He was a Naval Air Cadet during World War II and played football for the Great Lakes Naval Academy. He graduated from North Carolina State University with a degree in Textile Engineering. At NCSU, he played football for his beloved Wolfpack and held the school record for pass receptions for many years. He played professional football for the Charlotte Clippers during the 1949 season. George was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles but decided to focus on his career in textiles. In 1972, George moved to Lexington with Parkdale Mills. He served as Vice-President until his retirement and was grateful to work with their many fine employees. Parkdale honored him by renaming the Lexington mill “The George Blomquist Plant”. George was active in many community organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis, and United Way. After retiring, he taught Sunday School at his church. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to The George Blomquist Memorial Scholarship c/o Kent Hester NCSU, College of Textiles Box 8301, Raleigh NC 27965.