Former valley resident Henry Webb Blessley died Feb. 5 in Palm Springs, California. His family provided the following.
Webb Blessley spent his life âon a mission from God.â Whether it was surprising his only granddaughter, Elsa, with doughnuts or drafting real estate deals on dinner napkins during his 23 years with McDonaldâs Corporation, Webb lived every second of his life pouring out enthusiasm and encouragement, shining his especially bright light on others.
The son of ice cream heiress Charlotte Rakestraw and traveling salesman turned real estate developer William Blessley, Webb grew up on the family farm in Petersville, Maryland, with his two older brothers, John and Dave. Webb looked for opportunities from the start: When a new highway cut close to his farm, he âborrowedâ the projectâs bulldozer to contract out his own services, plowing the neighboring farm lanes to earn a buck. During the summer he trapped snapping turtles in his pond, selling them door to door in nearby Frederick. Like his dad, Bill, Webb was a man who lived many lives; however, unlike his dad, Webb never had to survive a plane crash, being crushed by a tractor or sawing himself out of a tree.