Dec 11, 2020
James L. Blackford, Sr., 89, of Martinsburg passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, December 2, 2020. Born on August 27, 1931 in Bardane, WV he was the son of the late Harry and Susan Blackford. “Big Jim” as he came to be called, enlisted in the US Army and served during the Korean Conflict. After being honorably discharged from the Army, Jim drove a truck at night and attended Shepherd University during the day, graduating from Shepherd University with a BS Degree.
Jim joined the 167th WV ANG as a computer programmer and later transferred to Civil Engineering, where he retired as a Master Sergeant. While employed with the 167th WV ANG he was one of the founding fathers of the 167th Federal Credit Union and was the last of the charter members. Jim was a member of the 167th WV ANG bowling team and enjoyed traveling to many locations around the country.