Olivia Blackburn

Olivia H. "Nanny" Blackburn, 91, of Rochester, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, June 6, 2018, surrounded by her family. Mrs. Blackburn was born in Rochester to Dr. and Mrs. Samuel F. Haines. She was a graduate of Rochester High School and went on to obtain a degree from Stephens College in Missouri. Her love of books led her to work at The Bookstore of Lucy Wilder and to volunteer at the Rochester Public Library. From there she joined the Mayo Clinic (Rochester) Business Office, where she worked until her retirement in 1991. She loved and supported the arts, was an accomplished knitter and calligrapher, and enjoyed word games and jigsaw puzzles, especially those handcrafted by Nano. Mrs. Blackburn loved nature in its entirety and was an avid birdwatcher. She also looked forward every year to spending time at her beloved summer home in Annisquam. Mrs. Blackburn was generous, kind and gentle, had a wry sense of humor and an endless amount of love for her family. Mrs. Blackburn is survived by her children, Bill Blackburn and his wife, Katy McEvoy, of Rochester; Emy Kelley and her husband, Charlie, of Orono, MN; Sam Blackburn and his wife, Deb, of Preston, MN; and Sarah F. Blackburn and her husband, Pat Rogers, of Billings, MT; her grandchildren, Charlie (Sarah) Blackburn; Henry Blackburn; Chris (Courtney) Kelley; Sam Kelley; Carrie (Jesse) Gleason; Matthew Rogers; Amanda (Ben Johnson-Tesch) Benarroch; and Simon Benarroch; her great grandchildren, Ben and Norah Blackburn; Grayson, Brynn, and Spencer Kelley; and family-by-affection, the Keatings. Mrs. Blackburn was preceded in death by her parents, one brother, and two sisters. The family wishes to extend a heartfelt thank you to the staffs at Visiting Angels and Mayo Hospice for their kind and compassionate care. Private committal of ashes will be in Oakwood Cemetery at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to The Raptor Center at 1920 Fitch Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108. To share a special memory or condolence, please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com.