Jeanne Hunter Blahut, 76, of Prosser, peacefully passed away on November 17, 2023 from complications of dementia. She was lovingly supported by her family at her passage. Jeanne was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on September 29, 1947 to William and Wenona (Long) Hunter. Her father was an air traffic controller, and her early years were spent with her family moving to different locations, mostly in the southwest. In the mid-60’s they settled in Phoenix, AZ where she graduated from Cortez High School in 1965. She studied philosophy at Northern Arizona University, then moved to Fairbanks, AK to work for Bechtel, Inc on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Project.
On March 17, 1975 she followed in her father’s footsteps by joining the air traffic service in Anchorage, AK. Coincidently, that was the day she met another new hire, Robert Blahut. Three years later, and a combined total of 5 facility and town moves, they got married in Anchorage, AK. After 6 years in the FAA, Jeanne left the air traffic service to focus on raising a family. She and Robert had two sons, Rian and Matthew.
In 1993, she and her family moved to the Whitstran area, near Prosser, when Robert transferred to the Pasco air traffic control facility. She immediately got a position in the Hogue Cellars wine tasting room, where she excelled at promoting the winery for several years before retiring.
Shortly after moving to Prosser, she and her husband operated the WestWind Martial Arts school. She earned a Black Belt in Taekwondo, and ran the cardioKARATE program.
In 2008, she and Robert opened a flight school (WestWind Aviation Services) at the Prosser airport, which is currently in operation.
During her life, Jeanne was a multi-disciplined artist, and loved working with drawing and painting media, and stone and porcelain sculpting. The subject of her art reflected what she was most passionate about in life, her family, aviation, and nature (with some mythical creatures occasionally to keep things interesting).
Jeanne was preceded in death by her parents, William and Wenona (Long) Hunter, residents of Sun Terrace in Prosser. She is survived by her husband, Robert Blahut, son Rian Blahut, his wife Sara (Pearson) Blahut, and grandson Evan Blahut, of Aiea, HI, son Matthew and wife Miriam (Marroquin) Blahut, of Peyton, CO, sister Marsha Hunter, and husband Brian Johnson, of Santa Fe, NM.
Services to be held Wednesday, November 22, 2023.
1:00pm: Church Service at Messiah Lutheran Church, 801 Luther Ln, Prosser.
2:30pm: Cemetery Service at Prosser Cemetery.
3 to 6pm: Reception at Brewminatti, 713 6th St, Prosser.
You may leave a message for the family at www.Prosserfuneralhome.com