Blanche P. Towner

February 27, 1927 - April 17, 2020

Blanche Pierce Towner, 93, passed away on April 17th, 2020 at the Beechtree Care Center in Ithaca. Born in East Worcester, New York on February 27, 1927, she was the youngest of the 11 children of Maggie and LaRue Pierce. She was a secretary at Towner Electric and a receptionist at Cayuga Medical Center. Blanche’s family was important to her and she gave us an appreciation of nature; birds, flowers, gardening, and hiking the Taughannock Falls trails. She enjoyed country and western music, creating ceramic pieces, bowling, and beating people at card games. As a homemaker, her skills at sewing, embroidery, knitting, and crocheting kept her family in clothes, warm winter sweaters, scarves, mittens, and afghans. She taught some of us how to use a riding lawnmower and how to prepare vegetables and fruits for canning and jellies that would last the winter. Her lasagna and zucchini bread were the most requested foods for family holiday meals which she often hosted. The family would like to thank the staff at Beechtree who cared for Blanche and appreciated her sly sense of humor and need for ice cream. Blanche is survived by her son Michael Towner (Maggie); daughters Lori Stevens (Don), Kathy Woodring, JoAnn Linck (Chris), seven grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be private. In lieu of flowers, please plant daffodils in your yard or feed hummingbirds. She’d like that.