Ralph Manning Blood, 77, of Main Road, died Thursday night in the North Adams, Mass., Regional Hospital following a long illness. Born in Stamford, Jan. 26, 1910, he was the son Harry and Florence (Jepson) Blood. He attended schools in Stamford and graduated from the Drury High School, North Adams, with the class of 1928. In his younger years, he was employed at the former Arnold Print Works Co. in North Adams and he was also a proprietor of a poultry farm in Stamford supplying eggs and poultry to area residents. During WW II, he took special classes in tool and die making for the war efforts. He was employed with Sprague Electric Co., North Adams, for 20 years until 1970. He was then employed at the buildings and grounds department of Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., until 1975. In 1975, Mr. Blood fulfilled a life-long childhood dream by establishing the Blood Farm on Main Road in Stamford. He was an avid fisherman, hunter and trapper and also learned taxidermy as a youngster. He was presented with the Field and Stream Sportsman Award, one each for deer, caribou, moose and bear in 1971. During the 1950s, he and his family opened a chinchilla ranch in Stamford. He served on the Stamford Board of Selectmen for several years. He was a lifetime charter member of the Stamford Fish and Game Association. He was also a charter member of the Stamford Volunteer Fire Department and also a member of the Stamford Community church. Surviving are his wife, Phyllis E. (Morrison) Blood; two daughters, Mrs. (Robert) Sheila Pecor, of Stamford, and Mrs. (Harold) Dayle Sprague of Whitingham; a sister, Mrs. (Thomas) Christine Rice, of Brattleboro; two brothers, Roger, of South Portland, Maine, and Howard, of Port Orange, Fla.; four grandchildren, nieces, nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews. Memorial services will be held at the Stamford Community Church on Saturday, April 18, at 2 p.m. Burial will be held at the family's convenience at the family plot in Millard Cemetery, Stamford. There are no calling hours.
The Brattleboro Reformer, 11 Apr 1987