Tony Blankley
(1948 - 2012)

"This is the memorial I set up for Tony Blankley. To sign the guest book, click on the "Sign Guest Book" button below. "

"Tony was truly a wonderful person. I met him while watching his daughter Ana play softball many years ago. I will never forget all of the long talks we had. I always admired his insights, his command of the English language, and his sense of humor. He was always witty and always a gentleman. Tony was a great family person and a great friend. He will always be a source of inspiration and he will never, ever be forgotten. My thoughts and prayers are with Lynda and the family."

"Prayer and sympathy to the family of a brilliant and honorable sentinel of conservative thought, word and deed. Outstanding journalist, a gifted, stylish voice and a good man. America is diminished by his passing, as am I."

"We cannot afford to have him leave us - that is selfish to say, I know - but we need him so badly. What a voice for everything good in America he was."

"Tony was the class-act of his craft -- widely read, exceptionally intelligent, gentlemanly to a fault, considerate, always available and generously helpful to journalists but, when he felt it necessary, a stingingly effective chastiser of newsmen when he felt they had been unfair to his boss, Rep. (then Speaker) Newt Gingrich. I know from personal experience of having been awakened early in morning to get blasted over the phone by dear Tony, who then ended such vigorous conversations with his typical warmth and politeness and respect. As The Washington Times editorial page editor, he was everything I expect from someone in that job -- and often more. Even when I didn't agree with, say, his foreign policy prescriptions, I loved the logic and eloquence of his argument. I will miss him immensely.
"

"My condolences to you and your entire family. I am a watcher of Mclaughlin Group and that is how I discovered this tragedy. Too young. I will add Tony and your family in my prayer jar at home and remember him at daily mass. Sympathies,"

"I had hoped to hear your wonderful political banter till you were 107. it was not in the cards..sadly. Thanks for keeping it classy. I hope you are in Heavenly New Jerusalem enjoying the sights. May the Holy Spirit pour out blessings and peace upon your family. Tony..you have left a big vacumn in everyones hearts."

"With sincere sympathy and love to the family of Tony Blankley. We so enjoyed him on the McLaughlin Group and have missed him and will miss him going forward. He presented his viewpoint with facts, wit, respect for others, and respect for the context of history. He was a true gentleman. He fought the good fight; may he rest in perfect peace. We will remember him fondly."

"Tony Blankley was one of our all-time favorite conservative voices. We have missed him on the McLaughlin Group. Blessings to his family. What a great man. Rest in peace."

"Words cannot express how very much I appreciated listening when Tony Blankley spoke. He was a brilliant and courageous man, and this freedom-loving man will be sorely missed. May God bless his family with peaceful hearts."

"What I saw was a very nice man who articulated his positions with class and dignity. Left us much to early, Rip Tony"

"Tony was one of my favorite political people.He will be missed for his insightfulness and sense of fair play. My condolances to the family. Thank you for sharing him with us."

"Cardinal Silverstrini, the third ranking Vatican prelate, is saying a Mass for Tony's soul in St. Peter's in Rome."

"The benefactor of orphanages in Africa is having all the children pray for Tony and your family as well. Innocent hearts at work! "

"I used to watch Tony Blankley on the MacLaughlin Report, where I was always impressed by his intelligence and style. He will be missed. My sincere condolences to all his loved ones."

"Tony was one of my favorite common sense people. May his soul rest in peace. I'll miss him tremendously."

"While I didn't agree with Tony's politics, he always argued his viewpoints in an incredibly respectful manner.

I'll miss his appearances on Hardball so much! He and Chris Matthews would spar on various topics yet would end their segments with laughing together."

"Tony was always one of my favorites on the McLaughlin Group. Sorry to see him gone, he was a civil voice in an noisy world."

"You will be missed."

"To The Family of Tony Blankley
My deepest sympathy and prayers for you. Tony was an absolute gentleman and one of the most talented people in his field. I had the wonderful privilege of being around Tony when he worked for Newt. God Bless"

"Cool guy."

"Blankley Family,

I am so sorry to read of Tony's death. When I watched him on The McLaughlin Group, I appreciated his conservative views and his charming wit. May he rest in peace."

"To the Blankley Family:

In your time of sorrow, may you find comfort in God's word, the Bible. James 4:8 encourages; "Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you".

My condolences,"

"God bless you and your loved ones - R.I.P."

"Very sad news. I enjoyed listening to Tony."

"May the God of all comfort be with your family at this time of grief, and may all your loving memories of Tony stay close to your heart. Psalms 45:"

"I have missed Tony's input on FNC.We have lost a great American."

"Tony will be greatly missed. He was a worthy advocate."

"My deepest sympathy to all of Tony's family. May he rest in peace."

"To the Wife and family of Mr. Blankley, May the love of friends and family carry you through your grief. The things impossible with men are possible with God. (Luke 18:27 & Ps 83:18)"

"I loved listening to him and reading his columns. He had such insight about our nation, the world, and politics in general. He was a great American and he will be missed."

"I am sorry to hear of the loss of your love one. May you be comforted by the psalmists words at Psalms 23:1-6."

"Tony will be sorely missed.. it is my hope the current political pundits and presidential candidates will take a page from the Tony Blankley book of wisdom and raise the bar of integrity and fairness this election cycle. Blessings to his beloved family."

"Tony Blankley was a man of character and class. He always impressed me as a very intelligent and well informed individual. He will be missed. Sincere condolences to his family."

"Tony Blankley was my favorite panelist on The McLaughlin Group. He showed common sense and civility. I have missed him and will continue to miss him."

"I am so sorry to see my old friend Tony pass too soon from this world. I have so many memories of Tony from our time in Washington in the 80s, including many of the famous chili & tequila parties he & Dana Rohrabacher used to host. The best cigar I ever tasted was a pre-revolutionary Cuban from a lot of 100 that Tony had bought from a Spanish auction after the Partagas estate had been resolved by the Spanish courts after more than 30 years. I also remember his 18th century copy of Black's Law and the night we searched it for its historical common law precepts about abortion (surprisingly, similar to Roe v. Wade, English law said it was okay till the "quickening" around the start of the third trimester). Lynda--you had a good man and still have him in your heart! God rest you, Tony."

"Ode to Tony Blankley

Now you have moved on to shine forever
I wish I could see the faces of the angels you see
Lighted by your torch, by the way you were free
How could we know to what heights you would soar?
To the depths of policy and government you explored
You saw things from a new point of view
That enabled all of us to catch our breath...

...and pause, to look at life anew.

You inspired us on your mission to know more
You stretched your mind beyond a common dimension
Into the realm of leadership with the poise to serve
And through this you brought about in each of us
A newfound sense of worth of competence and nerve
For this we are deeply thankful and stand in awe
Of your life lived fully and courageously for all to see
Lighted by your torch, by the way you were free."

"Tony is great guy and a true patriot of the greatest President’s of my life time… Ronald Reagan! To be able to work with Reagan and help define history is just incredible. His work will hold to the test of time and we are grateful for the time he had on earth! The Smith family sends our prayers to the Blankley family to lift them up in this time of great need! Tony you will be missed… God Bless my friend, J. Michael…"

"For Tony Blankley, 1/21/2012
In Memoriam

Solemn Promise

So comes the snow, dear friend
to cleanse the earth
cried from the sky
then turned in an instant
softly to a flake
like a million hands
clasped in prayer for you
settling together to blanket the land.

So is the solemn promise
of God's love for you
given as a tear shed for us
who gave us his son
and took him away
so we might know him
forever."

"Tony spoke with a clear voice and strong heart. He believed in America, loved his family and was a loyal friend. His spirit will live on as we pledge to support his belief that we are blessed to live in a wonderful country and have the great privilege to help preserve it. We will miss him terribly. Judie and John Knoerle Chicago, IL"

"Ana Blankley Tribute – Anthony Blankley Funeral
January 21, 2012 – Great Falls, VA

When I think of my Dad, I think of my hero. My saving grace. He was always there for me, and he loved me unconditionally no matter what I had done wrong. When I was at lowest moment, he was there to pick me back up.

He was the one I’d watch movies with until long past my bedtime, something I can’t hold against him. He was the one who would answer all my questions, but I would have to be prepared for an hour long explanation since he refused to leave anything out that could be in relation to what I asked.

He shared his love for reading and writing with me, two of my most favorite things to do.

He also shared his love for animals, a trait he has certainly passed onto me. We would sit together in the living room for hours, him in his chair and me on the couch accompanied by a couple of good books in our laps, three dogs on the floor, and a cat on each shoulder.

One of the most cherished memories I have with my dad was shopping with him every Saturday morning. My mom would send us off with a list of things to do, and we would do them, but we would also do what we weren’t supposed to do. We would make a quick stop by Barnes and Nobles and Best Buy to get up to a hundred dollars worth of books and movies to hold us over at home for the next week until we returned the next weekend. We called such outings our chores, the best kind of chores if you ask me.

A few nights ago, I thought about all the things my Dad dreamed of doing, but never got the chance to do. I told myself if there were anything I would promise my dad if given the chance, what would it be? A few things came to mind, and I thought them over and decided. I told myself this:

I promise to one day get a bulldog and name him Churchill, because that is what my Dad always wanted to do. I promise to one day hold a lion cub and think of my Dad, because that is what he always dreamed to do. I promise to follow all the dreams and wishes I have, because that is what my Dad taught me to do. I promise to remember and honor my Dad, because that is what I wish to do.

I am going to carry out those promises for my Dad, because he was a really great man who deserved the opportunity to do them himself. I will always remember him as the man who inspired me to pursue anything I set my mind to.

Dreams, goals, anything I hope to accomplish in my life. That was one of the most important things he taught me, besides how to make a tuna fish sandwich.

I will never forget the memories, the stories, the laughter, or the love I shared with him. He will never disappear completely. Because I will keep him alive in my hearts, the one place he will never leave."

"Trevor Blankley Tribute – Anthony Blankley Funeral
January 21, 2012 – Great Falls, VA

My dad was the best man I have ever or will ever know. He taught me what it meant to be a man, a husband and one day a father. He supported me through every crazy fad I wanted to try, from fencing, which lasted all of 2 weeks, to playing the trumpet, and he never said a discouraging word.

More recently he and I had started to have these great conversations where we would talk about everything from politics to what the future will hold for us individually and as a family. He was the first person I told about wanting to marry Michelle and his immediate reaction was one of joy and pride and he told me that I was going to be a great husband and eventually father. I told him it was all thanks to him to which he chuckled and told me he loved me.

I have a deep well of memories to look back on and I believe he will always be here looking over us. So eve as sad it is to have to say goodbye and to lose those great conversations I know I will see him again one day and we'll be able to again have some great conversations. I love you and miss you dad."

"Lynda Davis Tribute – Anthony Blankley Memorial Service
January 21, 2012 – Great Falls, VA

Thank you God for tears and laughter and for family and friends to share them with. Thank you all for being here with us today. If this service gets a little long, please bear with us, our Toni’s life was way too short and there is so much to celebrate about him.

Thank you my dearest Trevor and Ana. Your words are the best testament your father could receive. And thank you dearest Spencer for helping me so thoughtfully with this program and by representing our family with your tribute at your father's Memorial service on February 1st at the National Cathedral.

You three were truly your father's greatest treasures. I will forever give thanks that you had so many special times with him, especially together at the farm during these last two years. He loved and admired the unique strengths and talents each of you posses and your faithfulness to your own interests and dreams. He respected the honorable character you each already manifest. You have and will make him very proud of who you are and how you make this world a better place.

I also want to recognize other treasured loved ones who are not here today because of their own death or regrettable distance but who were much, much beloved by your father. Daddy's brilliant and musical father Jack Blankley and his beloved, equally accomplished and giving mother Trixie who together gave us the example of 72 years of marriage. What a wonderful heritage they bestowed.

His dear, talented sister and vigilant advocate Maggie and her precious love David, our families' Superman. My wonderful entrepreneurial father Frank Davis, who was adored by my steadfast hugging mother Mary for 62 years. And my brothers, sister-in-law, niece, nephew, and dearest West Coast friends who got to share love with our Tony.

Today is Tony's birthday and I would like to take just a few minutes to toast the man, the husband, the father, and the friend that we was. To toast his character:

His passion for the strong flavors and aromas of life
His boldness of dress and sense of style and flair
His wit and whimsy and his bemused and humorous chuckles
His love of beauty and music and grace

His utter intolerance for cruelty and his distain for rudeness and vulgarity
His gentlemanly manner to male and female alike
His ever welcoming hospitality to friends and beloved Sady Way neighbors
His politeness to foe even in the heat of political battles
His sweet softness and compassion for animals

His serious attention to the consequences of opinions and the meaning of words
His incredible memory for facts and dates
His ability to make the historical a relevant and necessary teacher
His commitment to speaking only the truth or remaining silent
His honor of his word above all else
His interest in our interests
His support of our explorations and adventures
His respect for our differing beliefs and his own faith journey
His love and dedication to family and friends, and
His enduring commitment to our freedom and this beloved country.

I toast you my dearest Tony! I have nothing but thankfulness to offer God for the unexpected, and surely undeserved, blessing of our love which grew, deepened and widened into unshakable respect and cherished admiration over 30 years of sharing and 27 years of marriage. At any size, you were my partner, my completion.

We loved our life together because we knew how precious, and yes how precarious and unpredictable, it truly was. We knew we had each fallen into more grace and goodness than we could ever deserve and we lived gratefully. Even in these toughest years of illness, we would try to lift each other at the end of every day. To say good night not with fear and worry but with a kiss of encouragement and an affirmation for all we had been able to share and who we were able to love.

Happy birthday my darling Tony. I am so heartened and touched that God gave you the gift that you loved so - a snowy night. I can see you rushing to the store for provisions in hopes that we would indeed get snowed in and cloistered away from the hustle in the shelter of Our Three Swallows Farm and the company of family, furry friends and our dear Sady Way neighbors.

You are in that company of family, friends and neighbors now my love and I believe you are in the very presence of the God of all creation. Say hello to our dear fathers and wait for us each in turn as we live out the dignity of our destiny as you so truly, surely, brilliantly, and honestly did during your all to short time with us here on earth.
"

"Spencer Blankley Tribute – Anthony Blankley Memorial Service
February 1, 2012 – Washington, D.C.

Thank you Mom, Trevor, Ana and Maggie (Tony's sister) for allowing me to represent the family today.

To the people who made this beautiful service possible -- especially those at Edelman and The Washington Times -- we are indebted to you; my father would have been supremely honored. And to all those who have supported us with their love, thoughts and acts of kindness, we are blessed and grateful.

Of all the gifts my father had to share, I will remember him foremost as someone who lived positively. Appreciative of this fleeting time we are given, he eschewed solipsism and cynicism, and in his fashion, focused on what he could do practically. He knew what was important to him -- family, friends, country, truth -- and pursued them with optimistic passion.

As a father and husband he was gentle and kind -- generous with his time, and generous with his love. It was clear how much he adored you, Mom. You and dad really do make a great team, and together you showed us children that love is real and lasting.

Continuing the tradition he inherited from his brilliant and musical father Jack Blankley and his beloved, equally accomplished mother Trixie, he held an exceptional regard for education. In the days before the internet, we would frequent the Oxford English Dictionary or Encyclopedia Britannica, as he had in his home growing up.

He had so much to teach us explicitly and implicitly. Foremost, a meticulous honesty; a serious attention to the formation of opinions and the meaning of words; and an expectation of self-discipline, personal responsibility, and sacrifice.

He didn't tell us how to live but supported each of us in our journeys. As we got older he delighted in having more areas of life to share and converse about. In our talks, I would often play political devil's advocate, mostly for the fun of hearing him counter each of my points with alacrity. If I disagreed with him, my first assumption was that I was missing something...Although I never felt I had to earn his love I liked to impress him, because he was a person worth impressing. I was a son always in awe of his father.

As a man, there was so much to admire about him. He had an inner drive based on curiosity rather than vanity; he displayed the equanimity of a clear conscience; he was a discreet and loyal friend.

He possessed a flexible intelligence that allowed him to turn his attention to any topic and be able to contextualize, synthesize connections, and distill the essential.

Intelligence is not itself a virtue, but he wielded it with purpose. In helping to shape public attitudes, he strove to drive policy that would strengthen the country he loved. He didn't argue for the sake of winning, but to defend ideas he believed were right. He knew when to compromise and when to take a stand.

His intellect was bolstered by a hunger for knowledge and new understanding. A voracious reader with good retention, he was a great store of knowledge. When I was feeling particularly entitled, I would ask him about a historical event and sit back for a leisurely lecture -- I always had to stop him, as he could speak effortlessly and endlessly.

He had so much substance, he would have been excused for lacking style -- if he had. Ever the sartorial gourmet, when he took me shopping for my first suit he instructed me on the proper cut of trouser. I told him the fact that he called them trousers worried me...but he knew what he was talking about.

Our golf outings were a great venue for his dry wit. In a more recent round he commented that his hip was hurting, but luckily he didn't use it in his swing…

A lover of art and beauty, he was a man who enjoyed the flavors and aromas of life and was continually appreciative of his blessings, reflecting that he was lucky to have always been able to do what he wanted professionally.

He wasn't inclined to feel sorry for himself, and in many ways sickness was his finest hour. If adversity reveals character, it hadn't been hiding very well, for he faced illness with the same grit and resoluteness he displayed throughout his life and which he sought in others. In extreme pain, he never took it out on other people. When it was easiest to be self-centered, he was at his most selfless. A supreme gentleman through and through.

We wanted more time to pay him back for all he had done for us, but his love didn't come with conditions.

I will miss his natural smile; his affection for us and the animals; seeing him under his favorite tree reading -- soaking up more knowledge, soaking up life.

His work is done but his model continues -- in his writings, in our memories of him, and to the extent we reflect his example.

I will miss him. That I had the privilege of calling him father is one of the great honors of my life."

"Washington just got a little more beige. Tony Blankley—pundit, political strategist and, most famously, former press secretary to then- House Speaker Newt Gingrich through triumph and disgrace in the 1990s—died Saturday night of stomach cancer, two weeks short of his 63d birthday.

A man of impressive intellect, appetites and personal style, Blankley knew and loved history and literature. He was beautifully spoken, with a whiff of a British accent acquired from his birth in London and strategically retained in Hollywood, where his expat father was a well-placed studio accountant and little Anthony was a child actor. He would grow up to become a Republican, a California prosecutor and a Reagan political appointee. But it was working for Gingrich that put Blankley on the power map—and frequently at odds with the press--until ethics woes forced the speaker to resign in 1997.

The spokesman became a columnist and editorialist for the Washington Times. This master of the pithy sound bite—he was, after all, an actor and a litigator--also became a gifted TV talking head, spiking his gravitas with spot-on levitas. By 2007 he’d gone corporate as an Edelman public relations executive vice president.
What else about Tony Blankley?

*That however partisan he might be in public, he tried not to let ideology poison a friendship. “He was one of the people who represented the old Washington, where you could be friends across the political divide,” said Democratic consultant Bob Shrum, a frequent TV sparring partner and longtime pal.

*That as a kind of gentleman farmer in Great Falls, Va., Blankley oversaw a menagerie that includes horses, peacocks, llamas and chickens, as well as cats and dogs. (An Edelman tech would visit Blankley’s home once a year to remove animal hair from his computer.)

*That his wife, lobbyist Lynda Davis, then a U.S. Navy Reserve captain, was ordered to Bosnia in 1995 for nine months and would have to leave her husband and a pair of young sons, until she became too ill to go; and that they later went to Russia to adopt their daughter.

*That Blankley was an avid cook who liked his cuisine plentiful and picante. Even when stomach surgery drastically limited his intake earlier this year, he would not give up the fellowship of the table. In November, per tradition, he cooked Thanksgiving dinner for 22, never mind that he would only be allowed a few morsels.
At his last meal with Shrum, at Equinox near the White House some months back, “Tony had a quarter of a glass of wine and a half a cup of soup, but he was quite insistent that I have a full dinner.”

*That he was an unreconstructed dandy with a bespoke wardrobe from a Washington tailor who, over time, created suits in several sizes to accommodate Blankley’s yo-yo weight loss regimes. “There was Big Tony and Diet Tony,” said Rob Rehg, president of Edelman’s Washington office. He remembers the day his friend totally dissed the brown suit worn by a stranger on the street. “And there was Tony, wearing some very loud yellow suit and he looked like a huge ice cream cone.”

In fact, it seems as if everyone I talked to had a Blankley story involving food, including Washington Post political writer Karen Tumulty. Back in 1994, a month after Gingrich masterminded the House Republican takeover for the first time in 40 years, she and Blankley had dinner in Cincinnati.

“He was simultaneously smoking, drinking whiskey and cutting into a huge piece of beef, and I asked him if he had ever given up a bad habit. He thought about it for a moment, and then told me, “Yes, when I was a prosecutor, I gave up drunk driving.”
My favorite meal with Tony came at Teatro Goldoni on K Street in the summer of 2008. I’d taken a Post buyout that May and sought some career advice from him and Frank Kauffman, an Edelman colleague I’d known for years.

“So you want to check out the dark side?” Blankley asked gently, knowing some reporters can’t bear the though of jumping from news to P.R. The meal developed a rhythm: Discuss each dish in detail--asparagus, pasta, veal and, if memory serves, a sinful dessert—between questions about what I really, really, really wanted to do next. By the time the check came, we both knew it was not public relations.
“Do what you love. That’s my advice.”

Lord knows, Tony Blankley surely did.

By Annie Groer"

"My sister Tara and I were at CPAC two weeks ago, and we're blessed to have Mrs. Blankley at the next table. After a lovely tribute to Tony by a dear friend , I felt compelled to say how sad we were for the loss of her amazing husband. Mrs. Blankley was so gracious and welcoming that I felt like an old friend . I did not want to intrude, but she understood how much those of us that did not know Tony personally, still loved him as a dear friend! Thank you for being so kind to me. God Bless Tony and his wonderful family."