Blaine Deraid Place passed away peacefully at the age of 93, on August 25, 2026, surrounded by his family. He was born on March 28, 1933, to Fred and Mae Place in Spencerville, Ohio.
He graduated from Spencerville High School in 1951. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was assigned to the USS Surfbird, a minesweeper, as an electrician during the Korean War. After his honorable discharge from military service, he returned to Spencerville and worked for Standard Oil of Ohio.
He married Eleanor Morris on June 8, 1958. They moved to Maumee, where Blaine worked in the electrical department at the Standard Oil refinery, later to become British Petroleum (BP) in Toledo.
After a short while, they started a new adventure and made their permanent home in Perrysburg, for the next 56 years. They raised two children, Randy and Shari. He had deep roots in the community, the First United Methodist Church and Scouting.
Blaine was the Scoutmaster for Troop 110 for more than 10 years. They embarked on a multitude of camping trips and adventures during that time. He often commented those were some of the best years of his life. He thoroughly enjoyed working with other fathers and the numerous boys involved in the scouting program. He was always proud that many of them achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, which helped lead them to great endeavors later in life.
Family life was highly important to him, and he never missed any of his children’s activities. He was present for ballet and piano recitals, band concerts, scouting events and multiple sporting activities. He and Ellie also enjoyed tennis, golf, camping, biking and the wonderful friends they made while living in Perrysburg. They loved to travel and made numerous trips around the world. A few of his favorites were an African safari, biking along the Danube and through the Loire Valley.
Blaine was a wonderful grandfather and spent quality time attending recitals, ball games, plays and sporting events between Atlanta and New Mexico. It wasn’t always an easy trip, but grandma and grandpa were always present when it mattered. The grandchildren have great memories of beach time, building sand castles, playing catch, going to the pool, riding bikes and hearing bedtime stories.
He retired from BP after 35 years. He and Ellie were snow birds for many years, before becoming full-time residents at Kelly Greens in Fort Myers, Florida, in 2015. They created great memories while visiting museums, botanical gardens and various sites around the state. They developed life-long friendships with neighbors in their golf and tennis community. They lived in Fort Myers until the fall of 2022, when their home was destroyed by Hurricane Ian. They embarked on a new adventure which relocated them to Las Cruces, New Mexico, in October of 2022. They quickly developed new friendships through carving classes, the University United Methodist Church, a pickleball group and phenomenal neighbors. Since Las Cruces is home to NMSU, they immediately became Aggie fans and attended football, volleyball and basketball games, as well as concerts at Atkinson Hall. They also enjoyed the productions at the Las Cruces Community Theater.
He was a skilled woodcarver and created beautifully detailed Santa Claus tree ornaments and walking sticks. He found great joy in gifting them to his friends. He was an avid reader, enjoyed walking the neighborhood and often was working with his hands on some type of creative outlet.
Without hesitation, he embraced the desert environment, fed the wild doves and quail daily, learned about the desert flora and fauna, and was fond of the beautiful Organ Mountains. The mesmerizing sunrises and sunsets were never unnoticed.
He is survived by his wife, Ellie; son, Randy (Vivian) Place; daughter, Shari (Karl Sitzberger) Zimmer, and grandchildren, Nicole and Harrison Place, Parker (Brandi) and Marshall Zimmer. Blaine loved sharing his life’s adventures with his wife of 68 years and his family. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and friend.
Blaine was preceded in death by his family, Fred and Mae Place (parents), Paul and Harold (brothers), Evelyn (sister) and Stephen Zimmer (son-in law).
The family would like to express their sincere thanks to Mesilla Valley Hospice. A Celebration of Life will be held September 29, at 11 a.m., at the University United Methodist Church.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mesilla Valley Hospice or the University United Methodist Church.