Howard Dean Blevins, 77, a Navy Veteran and resident of Silver City, NM, born August 8, 1947 to his parents, Everett Marion and Elizabeth (Valenzuela) Blevins in Ventura, CA. Howard passed on the evening of May 1, 2025 at Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces, NM due to complications of pneumonia and exposure to Agent Orange while in the Navy. Howard joined the US Navy in 1965 and after attending welding school in the Navy was stationed on the USS Vega, which made 5 tours to Viet Nam. He left the Navy in 1969. As a welder he worked mainly through his union, Local 484 out of Ventura, CA and many other places all across the United States.
Howard loved to read, garden, tend to his roses, work in the orchard and drive his tractor. But his biggest joy was Bluegrass music, which he began playing at the age of 13. In their 20's he and his brother Carl even started their own Bluegrass band called "The Cream of Kentucky." They played many localities in southern California. His favorite instrument was the banjo, but he was proficient on the guitar, bass and Dobro (Aija's mom referred to it as a "bedpan" guitar).
He is survived by his loving wife, together for 35 years, married for 33 years, Aija (Kampars) Blevins; his son, Kenneth Roy Blevins (Tina) of San Tan Valley, AZ; his daughter, Janette Marie Halsey (Marcus) of New Braunfels, TX; his brother, Evert Blevins of Ventura, CA; his sisters, Betty Cole of Ventura, CA and Jane Park (Ron) of Roseville, CA; his two grandchildren; his two great-grandchildren; his numerous nieces and nephews.
A Graveside Military services and Full Military Honors, will be held with the family at the Fort Bayard National Cemetery in Fort Bayard, NM, on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at 1:00pm.
Donations in Howard's name can be made to the Tunnels to Towers Foundation
( www.T2t.org ).
Cremation will take place at Terrazas Crematory. Arrangements are with Terrazas Funeral Chapels and Crematory "Trust care for the ones you love" ~ 575-537-0777. To send condolences, visit www.terrazasfuneralchapel.com.
