John R. Blackwell, 81 of Allentown, passed away Saturday at Compassionate Care Hospice in Trenton. Born in Oradell, NJ, John was a WWII US Army Air veteran stationed in Newfoundland as an air traffic controller for the Berlin Airlift. He worked many years for the Borough of Allentown and retired from Wrightstown Borough as a water treatment supervisor. John was a member of the East Brunswick VFW Post 133, the New Egypt Historical Society and he loved to collect trains and cane chairs.

Son of the late Robert John and Edna May Blackwell, he is survived by his wife of 57 years, Betty Anne Blackwell; his daughter Helen Blackwell and her husband Daryl Mercantini of New Egypt; two sisters, Mary Petrakakis and Viola Kufel both of Oradell and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral service will be held 11am Saturday, August 2nd at the Peppler Funeral Home, 114 S. Main St. Allentown. Friends may call Friday from 6-9pm and again Saturday from 9-11am at the funeral home. Cremation will be private at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in John's name to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, One Hamilton Health Place, Hamilton, NJ 08690 C/O Dr. Syed Asghar, in appreciation of the doctor's compassion for and care of John.