SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Winnie was born to Almeda and William Widdop in Mountain View on June 17, 1918. She was raised on a ranch and had other close relatives who operated a rural country store.
She married Lawrence William Blackner in Coalville, Utah; on Sept. 19, 1933, and had 76 years of harmonious marriage. After moving to the Linda Vista neighborhood of San Diego in 1941, Winnie spent decades working as a customer service rep. for Sears in North Park, while her husband Bill worked for General Dynamics 35 years.
After living a full life, Winnie passed away peacefully from natural causes and went to be with God in her east San Diego home on March 12.
Winnie has been a faithful Padre baseball fan since the team started in 1969. She last passed the DMV written and driving test at the age of 98. Her 100th birthday party, attended mostly by relatives, completely filled a local steakhouse, and her 100th birthday goal was to ride on a Harley Davidson.
Winnie was admired by many for her calm demeanor, sense of humor, commitment to family and incredible resiliency. She is survived by six grandchildren, 10 grea-grandchildren and 4 great-great-grandchildren. ‘Harley Grandma’ will be missed.
