Former newspaper publisher Richard "Dick" Blankenburg of Arroyo Grande died on Saturday, Jan. 28, at the age of 86.
Blankenburg was editor and publisher of the Five Cities Times Press Recorder for nearly 40 years.
In 2019, he received a proclamation from the City of Arroyo Grande, honoring him for his decades of service to the community.
Blankenburg and his wife, Maxine, were credited with bringing the Special Olympics to San Luis Obispo County in 1969. He was a member of the Pismo Beach Kiwanis Club for more than 60 years and was involved in many other organizations, including the Jaycees, Chamber of Commerce, Arroyo Grande Harvest Festival, United Way, YMCA, Boy Scouts, and others.
The Blankenburgs retired from the newspaper business in 1998 and sold the newspaper to the owners of the Santa Maria Times. The Five Cities Times Press Recorder printed its last issue in 2016.
Dick Blankeburg is survived by his three children and multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Special Olympics, Kiwanis, Boy Scouts, or Arroyo Grande Harvest Festival.
