Frances Blickenstaff's Obituary
Frances Pickett Blickenstaff, 81, of Charlotte passed away May 18, 2014 at her home.
She was born on November 6, 1932 in High Point, NC to the late John and Pearl Pickett. She attended St. Mary’s School in Raleigh, NC and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
After college she married Gilbert Harris Furgurson of High Point and moved to New York, where she had three children. During this time Frances was an active member of the Junior League of New York and passionate about the League’s mission to support the public school libraries.
In the mid-1960s she moved with her children to Westport, CT, where she married Wayne K. Blickenstaff and they had a child together. Frances raised her four children in Westport where she lived for over 20 years and worked as a research analyst for a national market research firm. She and Wayne moved to Charlotte in 1989.
Frances was an avid reader and loved all types of music and Broadway shows. She was an animal lover and supporter, as demonstrated by the number and type of pets she had over the years, as well as her financial donations to various animal protection agencies. Later in life Frances was happiest spending time with her family at her summer home off the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC. Her last act of generosity was donating her land to the Blue Ridge Conservancy to make sure it was protected in perpetuity.
In addition to her parents Frances was preceded in death by her loving husband of 43 years, Wayne K. Blickenstaff.
She leaves behind to cherish her memory her son Gilbert Harris Furgurson, Jr. of Charleston, SC; daughters, Brenda Furgurson Grimes, Gayle Furgurson Wellborn and husband Bart, and Jayne Perry Blickenstaff, all of Charlotte; brother John Pickett (Jack) and wife Becky of High Point, NC; 6 grandchildren - Kelley, Becky, Steven, Justin, Megan and Harris; 4 great-grandchildren; and her dog Bailey and cat Casey.
A private memorial service will be held at a later date.
James Funeral Home of Huntersville is serving the family.
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