Mike Blake Obituary, Death – Michael J. Blake, 62 years old, passed away on Thursday at his residence in Wakefield. He was the son of Joseph and Frances (Thompson) Blake, both of whom passed away before his birth on June 21, 1947 in San Pedro, California. Mr. Blake attended San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara, California, and graduated with the class of 1965. In addition, he earned a degree in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in 1973.
He graduated from Yale University in 1969. He was an American soldier. During his time in Vietnam, he served in the Army Intelligence Unit and was stationed in Da Nang. In addition to that, he was honored with the Bronze Star. Mr. Blake began his career in banking at the 1st National Bank of Boston in 1973. This institution is now known as Bank of America. He began his career in the International Lending Division in Argentina, where he worked for the full nine years before moving on to serve as General Manager in Bolivia, Paraguay, and Puerto Rico.
When he returned to the headquarters in 1987 to work in the transportation lending division, his primary focus was on the railroads and the airlines. In 2002, he took his retirement from Bank of America. Mr. Blake and his wife, Gwenn Therrien, settled down in Latin America shortly after their wedding, during which time they took advantage of numerous opportunities to travel. Machu Picchu in Peru, Iguazu Falls in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, and a variety of islands in the Caribbean were some of their most cherished travel destinations.
Mr. Blake was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Wakefield and was active in the community there. He volunteered his time at the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry in addition to serving as the treasurer of the Friends of the Beebe Memorial Library. He was a devoted golfer, and in the year 1985, he made a hole-in-one at the Rockleigh Golf Course. In addition to that, he was an avid reader who enjoyed reading a wide range of books.
In addition to his wife Gwenn, he is survived by his brother Robert Blake and his wife Elizabeth, who reside in Davis, California; his in-laws Russell and Doris Therrien, who reside in Cabot, Vermont; his brothers-in-law Alan Therrien and his wife Suzanne of Boxford and Dale Therrien and his wife Donna of St. Johnsbury, Vermont; and his sister-in-law Janet Decker and her husband Al, who reside in Florence. James and Ian Blake, Heather McGinnis, Tim Therrien, Michele Voner, and Jack Decker all had him as an uncle. In addition to this, he leaves behind six grand-nieces and grand-nephews.