Obituary of Maryfaith Blanchard

Maryfaith Blanchard (nee Gastel) of The Villages, age 78, passed away peacefully on December 4, 2023 at Shands hospital in Gainesville, FL from complications with Sepsis. Maryfaith was born in Pittsburgh on November 25, 1945, and was the youngest of three children born to Ralph and Irene (nee Nagy) Gastel. Maryfaith moved from Pittsburgh, PA to Palm Springs, CA, with her family when she was little. She considered this her hometown. She attended St. Theresa's Catholic School through the 8th grade and graduated from Palm Springs High School in 1963 where she was a member of Teen Angels, an organization of young women, who did charitable work in the Palm Springs area raising money for the Angel View Crippled Children's Hospital. She also worked as a fashion model for Robertson's Department store until she moved with her family to McAllen, TX in 1965 and became a local TV fashion model for an upscale women's clothing store. While in Palm Springs, she met her future husband Philip Blanchard and they were married in Mission, TX in Nov 1966.  She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Philip Blanchard and three sons, Ted (Allison); Matthew (Lesli); John (Dawn); and one daughter Candace Jimerson (Jonathon) and six grandchildren: Autumn (Thomas) Campbell II, Jacob Blanchard, Justin Blanchard, Trinity Barker, Jayden Barker, Noah Blanchard and two great grandsons Landon and Liam Campbell; one brother Robert Gastel (Bonnie, deceased); also numerous nieces and nephews. Maryfaith was predeceased by her parents Ralph and Irene Gastel and one brother, Dennis. Maryfaith accompanied her husband on assignments with the U.S. Department of State to La Paz, Bolivia (1967-1969); Paris, France (1969-1971); Manila, Philippines (1971-1073); Kinshasa, Zaire (1973-1974); Kuwait City, Kuwait (1974-1975); Washington, D.C. (1975-1980); Bonn, Germany (1980-1983); Cairo, Egypt (1983-1985); Washington, D.C. (1985-1987); London, England (1987-1990); and Albuquerque, NM (1990-1992). Maryfaith and her husband remained in New Mexico after his retirement in 1992, until they moved to The Villages in 2000. She enjoyed traveling and meeting people and making new friends wherever she lived.  Maryfaith was very outgoing and gregarious to everyone she met. She was a beautiful soul whose smile was infectious. She was kind, generous and full of love for her family and friends. She was also very proud of her Hungarian heritage (mother's side). She was able to visit Budapest, Hungary while on a Viking river cruise in 2016. This is some- thing that she had always wanted to do, to see where her grandparents came from.  She was also extremely devoted to her family, grandchildren and great grandchildren being a homemaker. She enjoyed walking, water aerobics, and socializing with family and friends. But most of all, she enjoyed spending time with her devoted husband Philip. She will be deeply missed by her family and friends.A visitation will be held on  Monday, December 11, 2023 at 12:00 pm with a  Celebration of Life service beginning at 1pm  and catered reception to follow at Hiers-Baxley Life Event Center, 3975 Wedgewood Lane, The Villages, FL 32162.  In lieu of flowers, please donate in Maryfaith's memory to Haven of Lake and Sumter Counties, 2600 South St., Leesburg, FL 34748, tel: (352) 787-5889.