David Louis Blood

Dave went to his eternal rest on Saturday, June 25, 2022. He was the only son of Louis and Enola McCaffrey Blood. He was born in Kenosha, WI on May 31, 1937, and graduated from Mary D. Bradford High School in 1955. From 1956 to 1960, he served an 8,000-hour indentured apprenticeship in the trade of tool room machinist.

Dave married his best friend, Marilyn Briglow, in 1966. The couple pursued a life of adventure that included sailing, travel and several interesting career changes for Dave including tool designer, plant manager and president of his own company, Dave Blood Yacht Rigging, Inc. In 1981, Dave’s GI doctor advised him to find a job that was less than 70 hours per week, preferably 40 hours which would be more suitable for a person with Crohn’s disease, a chronic and often debilitating condition. Gateway Technical College was the answer. Dave spent the next 15 years as instructor of basic tool and die technology, machine tool operation, industrial machine repair and ultimately as Department Chair of Trade & Industry at the Kenosha Campus, retiring in 1999. Dave’s continuing education included attending classes at UW/Parkside, UW/Milwaukee, UW/Stout and the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

Always interested in boats, Dave has been involved in power boating, has owned racing sailboats and a cruising sailboat. His community activities have included teaching safe boating and seamanship classes for both the United States Power Squadron and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. His interests also included motorcycling, photography, scuba diving, landscape design, collecting A.C. Gilbert Erector sets (his favorite childhood toy) which were manufactured from 1913 – 1962 and serving as President, Past President, Publisher and Editor of the newsletter for the A.C. Gilbert Heritage Society, a 450-member Erector and other Gilbert toy collector club. He was a member of South Shore Yacht Club, Milwaukee, Racine Yacht Club and the Kenosha Yacht Club where he served on the Board of Directors, an organization in which his grandfather, Walter Blood, was a charter member.

Dave was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn, a son John Blood, his sister, Nancy Severance, brother-in-law, Russell (Bud) Severance, many nieces and nephews and many dear friends.

A memorial service will be held at Marsh Meredith Funeral Home on Thursday, June 30, 2022, 11 am. Relatives and friends may meet prior to the service 10- 11 am.

Memorials to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, 733 Third Avenue, Suite 510, New York, NY 10017.