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A memorial will be held for University of Wisconsin Oshkosh alumna Annette Blanchette ’60, of River Falls, on Tuesday, March 3 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Alumni Welcome and Conference Center.

Blanchette, an Oshkosh native and lifelong Titan who believed deeply in giving back, passed away unexpectedly on Feb. 12 at the age of 77. A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial was held Feb. 25 at St. Bridget Catholic Church in River Falls.

Although there will not be a formal service at the UWO memorial Tuesday, the campus community is invited to attend and share their memories with friends, colleagues and Blanchette’s family. Coffee, punch and cookies will be served. A table will be set up to display memorials and keepsakes.

A state-funded grant paid for Blanchette’s college education at UW Oshkosh, inspiring her to develop several scholarship funds and other student-focused programs.

“I made up my mind at the time I started college to provide an opportunity for other people to get an education,” she said in a UWO profile story. “I was so happy to have an education that I was happy to give back.”

Blanchette’s giving heart also impacted the River Falls community and UW-River Falls, where she worked for 33 years. She received the Chancellor’s Recognition Award to Classified Staff in 1998 when she retired.

Gifts made to the UW Oshkosh Foundation in Blanchette’s honor can be designated for one of the funds Blanchette established (Irene L. Blanchette Sophomore Achievement Award, Irene L. Blanchette Nursing Award, Dr. Roy and Geraldene Dixon-Robinson Scholarship, Sally Margis Classified Staff Development Fund or the Nevin James Debate Fund) or any other fund.

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