Blaine August Hurrelbrink

Blaine August HurrelbrinkJanuary 9, 1948 - August 29, 2024Blaine August Hurrelbrink passed away on Thursday, succumbing to a16-year long battle with Marrow Deficiency Syndrome (MDS). He was the son of Floyd and Mary Booth Hurrelbrink. 

Blaine married his wife Christy Reed Hurrelbrink on April 26, 1968, sharing a 56-year long marriage. Together they had three children Kelly, Julie, and Brent. He spent his 50-year career working in the glass business, starting his career in Pennsylvania. After the closing of the Glass Plant in Knox, Blaine and Christy moved to North Carolina, where he continued his career and retired from Saint-Gobain on January 15, 2016. During those years Blaine was very active in the union. He served terms as the President and Vice President of local GMP3. He also served as the President of the Glass Awareness Committee, was an honored member of the National Apprentice Committee, and participated in many other programs. Being a third-generation glass worker was an extremely important part of Blaine’s life. 

Blaine was known by all as a jokester. He loved making people laugh and he was always smiling. He loved to play cards, often went bowling, golfing, and camping. Blaine and Christy had a permanent camp site in Pennsylvania where they spent a lot of their summers being around family. He also loved having breakfast with his brothers-from-another-mother. He spent as much time with his family as he could. Family was always first for him. While they had several pets over the years, their most recent dog, Patches, was truly man's best friend. Blaine was looking forward to meeting up with his favorite girl Patches at the end of the rainbow bridge. 

In addition to his wife Christy, Blaine is survived by his three children, six grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Kelly and Frank Fulmer of Foxburg; Julie Forsythe and Todd Peterson of Emlenton, and Brent and Carrie Hurrelbrink of North Carolina. Grandchildren; Trista Hurrelbrink and David Klyman of Philadelphia, Chad and Rachel Forsythe with children Matthew and Evan of Knox; Blaine Fulmer and Alex Burkett with children Calian and Dakota of Knox; Crystal Forsythe and Trevor Miller with children Madilynn and Emrik of Emlenton, Justin Hurrelbrink and Ayden Hurrelbrink of North Carolina. Blaine is also survived by siblings James Floyd Hurrelbrink and his partner Beth of Knox, Jean Dean McKinley of Brookville, brother-in-law Thom Reed and wife Cindy of Spring City, PA, and many nieces and nephews.

Blaine spent many days at Duke University Hospital over the last years of his life. During many of these visits he received blood transfusions for his MDS. If you would like to honor Blaine’s life, the family asks that you consider donating blood at one of these two upcoming blood drives: Thursday, October 3rd at Joyner’s Funeral Home in Wilson, NC or on Thursday, September 26th at Knox United Methodist Church in Knox, PA.

The family plans to have a memorial service at a later date.