Long-time Tribune columnist Maurice Malcolm Blalock was born on June 5, 1942, at his parents’ residence in Hanceville, Alabama. The farm by U.S. highway 31 is now a part of Wallace College. His parents, Dennis L. and Hazel Phillips Blalock, named him for a friend, Maurice Holmes and for his granddad, Malcolm Phillips. He passed away on March 4, 2022 at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville.
As a preschooler, he loved to tear things apart and put the items back together. He was gifted with fix-it skills. Also, before school age, he found some poison Polk salat berries and consumed several before his mother discovered what he had done. Doctor George T. Rowe pumped out his stomach.
Farm chores were a priority, including growing crops and tending to farm animals. As a member of the 4-H Club, he had several projects, including beef steers. He was also an active member of the Royal Ambassador (R.A.’s) at Hopewell Baptist Church that his dad directed. Maurice and his brothers were active in church and community baseball teams.
As a young teenager, he made a profession of faith and was baptized in the creek behind Hopewell Baptist Church. The only paved road traveled was U.S. Highway 31, which was the main route between Chicago and Florida. The Shaw family built a motel and restaurant across the highway. To visit grandparents at Good Hope, people had to endure muddy or dusty roads.
Maurice witnessed changes such as an indoor bathroom, natural gas heat, running water, refrigerator, electric stove and transport by car to replace a wagon, etc. He graduated from Hanceville High School in 1960, along with his future wife, Mary Beth Hughes.
Following high school, he enrolled at Calhoun Junior College and studied Diesel Mechanics. He drove a bus to the school to help defray expenses. He worked in Cullman and Atlanta before being drafted during the Vietnam War. Basic training was at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
Maurice was in the Army’s Hell on Wheels, 2nd Armored Division. After additional schooling at Fort Sill, Oklahoma he trained troops at Ford Hood, Texas. He advanced in rank as far as he could without becoming an officer. Maurice served several years in the reserves.
After military duty, he commenced dating Mary Beth Hughes, who was a student at Florence College. They were married on February 10, 1968.
Mary Beth enrolled in Library Science at Peabody College, so they relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, where they resided for the remainder of their 54 years of marriage.
Later Mary Beth became the director of the Peabody Education Library, which is now a department under Vanderbilt University.
Their son, Brian Maurice Blalock was born on October 27, 1972.
Maurice was a great family member. He not only helped everyone, but his antics were very entertaining at family get-togethers. One of his interests was family history. He placed historic markers at several ancestral gravesites.
The Blalocks had a huge garden for years and produced super fruit and nuts from their orchard.
They often made trips to Hanceville to help aging parents. After retirement, they traveled often.
He was predeceased by his parents: Dennis and Hazel Blalock; in-laws: Clarence and Lavondia Terry Hughes; a nephew: David Blalock; brothers-in-laws: Carl Rodenburg and William D. Kirkham and sister-in-law: Barbara Hamrick Blalock.
He is survived by his wife: Mary Beth Blalock, of Nashville, Tennessee; a son and wife: Brian and Davette Blalock, of Nashville, Tennessee; grandchildren: Victoria “Tori” and Lance Blalock, of Nashville, Tennessee; two brothers: Delton Blalock, of Hanceville and Dwight and wife, Suzette Blalock, of Boones Mill, Virginia; two sisters: Brenda Kirkham, of Decatur and DeAnne Rodenburg, of Huntsville; a sister-in-law: Vivian Hughes, of Tennessee and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 12, at Hanceville Funeral Home. The service will be at 11:00 a.m. His brother, Delton Blalock will deliver the eulogy and Reverend Ted Blalock will lead the service. Burial will be at Hopewell Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Brian Blalock, Lance Blalock, Michael Cone, John Cone, Tracy Haynes and Carter Smith.
A kinder man would be hard to find. Maurice left a tremendous legacy. His outstanding love and superb character will not be forgotten.
Maurice and Mary Beth Blalock (Photo contributed)
