PATRICK JOSEPH BLEWETT June 4, 1929 – May 4, 2022
Patrick Joseph Blewett, 92, died peacefully at his home in Albuquerque in the early morning hours of May 4.
Pat, the youngest of six, was born June 4, 1929, to Patrick Henry and Margaret Campbell Blewett, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He grew up in Fond du Lac where he graduated from St. Mary’s Springs Academy in 1947.
He received his undergraduate degree in physics from Marquette University in 1951. Pat was commissioned in the United States Air Force at the advent of the Korean War as a First Lieutenant. The Air Force deployed him to Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque where he met his future wife, Margaret Gilstrap in 1957.
The two were married in Albuquerque in 1958 where their first two children were born. Pat received his Master of Science in Physics from the University of New Mexico in 1961. In 1962 he accepted a job at Los Alamos National Laboratory in T Division. Their other four children were born in Los Alamos. He worked at LANL until he officially retired in 1996 but he continued to work at the Lab as a consultant for many years after that.
He is survived by his wife Margaret, his 6 children, John, Christopher, Sarah, Barbara, Peter and Kate, his sister Jane of Philadelphia, 14 grandchildren and many nephews and nieces.
He was proceeded in death by his parents, two brothers, Rev. John Edward SJ and Pierre, two sisters, Rosemary (Paterson) and Ann (Bleck) and granddaughter Piper Renee.
He could often be seen riding his bicycle around Los Alamos or playing tennis. He was an avid Chicago Cubs fan and lived long enough to see them finally win a world series in 2016. He gave generously of his time tutoring many students in mathematics and physics.
Pat and Margaret moved to Albuquerque in 2019 to be closer to family after Pat had a stroke.
His life will be celebrated at a Funeral Mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos Monday, May 9 at 1 p.m., followed by internment at Guaje Pines Cemetery with a reception to follow at Fuller Lodge. All arrangements are being handled by French Mortuary https://www.frenchfunerals.com.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Medical Mission Sisters at: https://www.medicalmissionsisters.org/
