Darlynne Blankenfeld

Darlynne Joyce Blankenfeld passed away on 26 July 2020 after a brief battle with cancer. She is survived by her loving husband, Emmitt, three children, Barton, Dana and Brett (Steve Corey), and two grandchildren, Kristen and Allison Corey.

Darlynne was born in 1932 in Canby, Minnesota. She was the youngest of five children of John and Bertha Hoseck. Almost from the beginning, Darlynne went by the name “Skip” or “Skippy,” a nickname bestowed upon her by her sister LeOna. She spent her early years on the farm her parents worked outside Canby. Just after her tenth birthday, her father died unexpectedly. She and her mother stayed on the farm a few more years, but once Skip was ready for high school, she and her mother moved into Canby where she graduated from high school in 1950.

Skip worked full time after high school and for a few years after her marriage in 1954 to Emmitt, who served in the US Navy. But by the time of the arrival of their second child, and a move to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in 1959, Skip transitioned to being a full time wife and mother. Being a Navy wife meant having to manage moves from one side of the country to the other as Emmitt received new orders at least once every two years. It also meant that she was the single parent in charge during the long periods when her husband was at sea. Skip was the anchor for the family—always there to support her husband and fulfill the role a Navy officer’s wife. She was also always there for her kids: she stepped up when volunteers were needed for room mother or Cub Scout den mother. She was always on hand to cheer her daughters at their softball games. She never failed to attend school open houses and parent-teacher conferences. And most important, she instilled in her kids the necessity of taking advantage of educational opportunities that were never afforded her.

Emmitt retired from the Navy in 1978 and took a job with Hughes Aircraft Company in the Los Angeles area. He and Skip moved from San Diego to the LA area and bought a house in Rancho Palos Verdes. For the first time in their long marriage, they had a chance to put down stakes without having to anticipate near term move orders from the Navy. It was also shortly before this time that Skip started a second career as a real estate agent. She enjoyed quite a bit of success representing clients in both San Diego and the South Bay area of LA.

Emmitt retired from Hughes Aircraft in 1992 and Skip decided that this was an opportune moment to retire from her real estate career. The two were able to enjoy a very long and happy retirement. They did an enviable amount of travelling both with family and with friends from their church in Palos Verdes. There were yearly trips to Cabo San Lucas and Fort Walton Beach, Florida. There were tours all over Europe, the Far East and Australia, and cruises to Alaska, Mexico and South America. There were family vacations in Maui and Kauai.

Emmitt and Skip also gave of themselves in retirement. They were active participants in their church, St. Peter’s by the Sea in Rancho Palos Verdes. Skip tutored kids at the Fifteenth Street Elementary School in San Pedro in conjunction with the church’s outreach program. She joined a quilting group at the church that delivered quilts to new single mothers. Both she and Emmitt even worked relief efforts in the San Fernando Valley following the Northridge quake in 1994.

Skip became a grandmother in 1995 and again in 2000. She was energized by the arrival of grandchildren and never missed a chance to dote on them. They became the focus of family Christmas and birthday celebrations.

As Emmitt entered his eighties, it gradually became apparent that he was experiencing the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Skip took over more of the management of the household and the care of her husband. After Emmitt finally transitioned to assisted living, she continued to oversee his care, which was no easy task since there were always new medical and other issues that his caregivers could not handle without her help.

Despite her own physical ailments, Skip remained mentally acute and was able to live on her own in their house in Palos Verdes until the very end. Always spirited and intellectually engaged, she maintained an active interest in current affairs, especially politics. She was very independent-minded and did not shrink from expressing her opinions during discussions with family and friends.

Even after Skip unknowingly began to be afflicted by cancer, she continued to live a full life. She still enjoyed family get-togethers and going out to her favorite restaurants. She even undertook some new gardening projects and made plans for other home improvements. Skip was herself until her final trip to the hospital, which made the shock of her passing all that much harder to accept.

Skip’s passing leaves a hole in the hearts of her family and of her many friends. She made a positive difference in the lives she touched. She will be sorely missed but never forgotten.


Family and friends of Darlynne are invited to share their favorite photos, video memories and heart felt messages on her Tribute page on the Green Hills Mortuary Website.