Jesse Blanco, Jr., of Canton, Georgia, much-loved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, has passed away on April 10, 2026, at the age of 79.

Mr. Blanco was born September 13, 1946, in Galveston, Texas, to Jesse Sr. and Carmen (Perez) Blanco, the first of
three children. After graduating from Jeff Davis High School in Houston, Texas, he was accepted to the University of Houston, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.

In 1968 he married the love of his life, Barbara Gloria, with whom he shared almost 58 years of matrimony.  Mr. Blanco also completed ROTC training while at U.H., and he entered service in the U.S. Army first as an artillery officer and later as a combat helicopter pilot. He returned home after completing a tour of duty in Vietnam as a decorated officer—a Bronze Star among his military honors—and continued his Stateside service with the Army as a helicopter pilot instructor before his honorable discharge.

Law school came next and in 1979 he earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree, having served as Dean of Admissions at the Law School at U.H.. He was appointed the first Clerk of Court of the newly-formed Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas in Houston, where he served before entering private practice, eventually founding his own firm specializing in bankruptcy law.

In 1994 he and Barbara moved to Jackson, Mississippi, where he earned a Master of Theology degree from Reformed Theological Seminary. This completed his formal training for the two great studies of his life—the law of man and the law of God—and he spent many years teaching Theology courses at Latin American Bible Institute in San Antonio, Texas, as well as traveling throughout Texas instructing small country churches on the finer points of church structure and governance and the importance of incorporation as non-profit entities.

In 2023, Jesse and Barbara moved to Georgia to live with their son, Aaron, and his family.

Throughout his life he enjoyed playing the trumpet, he loved classical music, he was an avid chess player and a
voracious reader, consuming a wide range of fiction and non-fiction novels and publications. The Houston Astros were his lifelong baseball team; but he (more or less) switched allegiances to the Atlanta Braves when he moved to Georgia. He loved to debate the current issues of the day, always with the goal of the pursuit of truth. He instilled in his three children the importance of getting as much education as possible, both to broaden the mind and to become more complete human beings. He loved holding his grandchildren in his lap and tickling or teasing or just making funny faces with each of them. He was always at the table during family gatherings, often laughing, often quietly listening as his children and grandchildren carried on his tradition of lively discussion about life’s big ideas. He was generous, noble, tall, and handsome and quietly filled any room he entered.

He leaves this earth survived by his beloved wife Barbara; his daughters: Danelle (Blanco) and Joel Knox of Brenham, Texas; Janeen (Blanco) Loving and Stephen Loving of New York, New York; and his son Aaron and Jenée (Latia) Blanco of Canton, Georgia. He is also survived by his younger brother Rudolph and Brenda (Grant) Blanco of Houston, Texas, and younger sister Tabitha (Blanco) and Keri Smith, of Waxahachie, Texas.

His grandchildren include Christopher and Maggie (Coffey) Knox and great-granddaughter Lucy of Dallas, Texas;
Jessica (Knox) and Bradley Kimes of Sugar Land, Texas; Anna Knox and Jacob Carrell of Missouri City, Texas; and
Caelum Blanco, Aden Blanco, Namen Blanco, Curragh Blanco and Brinn Blanco of Canton, Georgia.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 13, 2026 at 12:30 p.m. at Saint Mary of Egypt Orthodox Church, 1765 Woodstock Road, Roswell, Georgia 30075. The committal service will be on Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at the Georgia National Cemetery, 1080 Scott Hudgens Drive, Canton, Georgia 30114. 
May the Lord commit his soul to where the righteous repose, and may his memory be eternal!