Dr. Duncan Cromwell Blanchard, 91, a resident of Teresian House, Albany, NY, passed away on February 25, 2016, after an acute respiratory illness. Born in Winter Haven, FL, October 8, 1924, Duncan moved with his family to New Lenox, MA, in 1928, where he attended school. His last 2 years were at Pittsfield High School, MA, where he ran the mile in track and graduated in 1942.
His first full time job was as an apprentice machinist at Pittsfield General Electric Co. He left to join the U.S. Navy during WWll and was sent to Harvard and Tufts universities in the Navy V-12 officer training program, earning the BNS in 1945. He then served as an ensign on the Pacific island of Guam. After the war he returned to Tufts and earned a BS in engineering in 1947. On the track team at Tufts in his first year, coached by the acclaimed Clarence "Ding" Dussault, he became the New England Intercollegiate champion in both the 1-mile and 2-mile run.
Duncan joined Project Cirrus, with other scientists, under Dr. Irving Langmuir from 1947 to 1949 at the General Electric Research Laboratory in Schenectady, NY. This was the first attempt to seed clouds to make rain. At Penn State U. he earned an MS in physics in 1951 and published his first paper, "The Behavior of Water Drops at Terminal Velocity in Air." Photographs of these drops showed that rain drops are shaped like hamburger buns, unlike the popular teardrop assumption !
He then worked at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MA. This was the beginning of a life long friendship and correspondence with the distinguished Al Woodcock. At WHOI Duncan's research was with the interactions between the atmosphere and the sea surface. During this time he also had a fellowship and leave of absence to attend MIT, earning a Ph.D in atmospheric science. In 1968 he continued this work at the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center, at the University at Albany, SUNY, as senior research associate and professor.
Duncan gave presentations of his work at scientific conferences here and abroad, and published about 140 articles. Most appeared in technical journals, but some were written for a general audience. He thought it very important to reach out to the public to explain science, giving numerous talks over the years to adults and children, and several at the Harlan Rowe Middle School in Athens, PA when his children were students. His book "From Raindrops to Volcanoes" (1967) is about adventures in science. It is published in 7 languages and was reprinted in 2004. In 1970 he published a popular article about a Vermont farmer, Wilson Bentley. His second book "The Snowflake Man" (1998) expands on the life and pioneering work of Mr. Bentley, who made the first photographs of snow crystals in 1885.
He was honored by being elected a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He retired from ASRC at Albany in 1989, but continued writing and exchanging ideas with colleagues. His last published work was in 2013. Early in life Duncan enjoyed cross country skiing and square dancing, and became interested in the philosophy of Humanism. In later life he volunteered at a food kitchen, and was concerned about climate warming.
Duncan was predeceased by his parents Norman and Edna Perkins Blanchard, infant sister Dorcas, brother-in-law Ernest Bosselman, and step-son-in-law John Eisenbraun.
He is survived by his third wife Julia Nugent Blanchard of Albany, NY; children Rebecca Blanchard of Kasilof, AK, Andrea Blanchard (Douglas) Cone of Williamsville, NY, Duncan Blanchard of Carmichael, CA, and Jonathan Blanchard of Titusville, FL; stepdaughters Margaret Eisenbraun of Oak Harbor, WA, and Laura Smith of San Francisco, CA; sister Barbara Bosselman of North Falmouth, MA, brother Norman (Margaret) Blanchard of Willow Street, PA; several grandchildren, step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.
