Marie Louise Weinard Blood passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on April 17, 2026. She was fondly known for her cookies and her carefully crafted poetry, both of which she gifted freely with love.
Born in High River, Alberta, Canada, on July 20, 1931, to Henry “Gea” Weinard and Bessie Arnold, Marie spent her childhood on ranches in Eden Valley, Alberta, and Salmon Arm, British Columbia. There, she enjoyed the outdoors and playing with animals, while learning to knit, sew, work hard, and be grateful for all she had. At just 10 years old, she heard of troops fighting in WWII and knitted socks for them.
She graduated from Salmon Arm High School, Kamloops Business School, and worked as a school secretary until she enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force, from which she was honorably discharged as an Airwoman 2nd Class.
In 1955, after months of correspondence, Marie married Slim Blood. They purchased the F/V Jo in Seattle and made their home in Elfin Cove, Alaska. Son Russell was born, soon followed by Frank. Raising two small boys on a fishing boat was challenging, so Marie and Slim built a tent house in Glacier Bay. After living in Anchorage for a short time, they moved to Fairbanks, where Marie raised their boys in a rustic cabin outside of town while Slim helped develop the Seattle-Fairbanks route for Lynden Transport.
Marie and Slim fished the F/V Jo out of Cordova during the 1963 season, docking the boat in Valdez for the winter before returning to Fairbanks. In March of 1964, the family prepared to travel to Valdez to ready the boat for the next season. However, Marie, expecting youngest son, Dean, was not feeling well and decided to delay their trip. The earthquake hit, and their boat was lost. Realizing the community would face significant supply and transportation hardships, they decided to move to Valdez to help rebuild.
In Valdez, they bought and fished the F/V Payday. Marie was integral to their newly established Harbor Fuel and Valdez Alaska Terminals businesses. Over the years, she also assisted in other local businesses and worked as Terminal Manager at Polar Airways.
Marie was a lifelong poet, from her first contest-winning piece to numerous published works, print ads, and gifted poems. Her work was renowned far and wide, earning her many awards and accolades. She took great pride in her community and its Gold Rush Days celebration, to which she contributed annual poems, modeled in the fashion show, hosted hat-making classes, and even served as royalty. She was a proud member of the National Poets Society, many state and local civic organizations, and the Pioneers of Alaska.
Marie’s life was a testament to love, devotion, family, and community. A devoted member of Bayside Community Church, she built a strong and loving church family, cherishing her time spent in fellowship. Her legacy lives on through her love for family, friends, and dedication to her faith. She will be deeply missed.
Marie was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers, John and Bob Weinard, and her sister, Margaret Dobbin. She is survived by her sons Russ (Janet), Frank (Jule), Dean (Tina); grandchildren, Chad (Regina), Pat (Ashley), Ryan, Shannon, Gary (Kena), and Gavin; great-grandchildren, Warren, Malin, Theron, Nolan, Madelyn, Natalia, Willow, Walker, Elias and Julian; niece and nephews Wendy Dobbin, Ron (Ruth) Dobbin, and Freddy Weinard.
A Celebration of Marie’s life will be held Saturday May 30th at 2pm at the Valdez Civic Center.