Greg Bland

B. Gregory "Greg" Bland went to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Friday, February 6, 2015, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He was born August 10, 1946, in Marianna, Arkansas, the son of Iva Nell and Berch Bland. Greg was first and foremost a devoted husband to the love of his life Debby, whom he was married to for 46 years. Greg lived a full life and was a blessing to all that knew him through the various areas of his life. In high school Greg developed a love for music and received the John Phillip Sousa award for his high school marching band. He went to College at Arkansas A&M (UAM) on a band scholarship where he played trumpet. He graduated with dual degrees in Math and Chemistry and was a member of the Knights organization. After college he and Debby were married and moved to Gillett, Arkansas where he became a school teacher and coach. In 1977, Greg accepted a position with Potlatch Corporation (currently Clearwater Paper) and became the Technical Director of Quality Control. His knowledge of the paper industry led to many of the company's outstanding products and innovations today. Over the years he developed a love for cooking on his grill and fed thousands of his customers, friends and family with his fantastic recipes. He was an award winning Grill Master whose specialties included ribs, pork butts, chicken, steak and baked beans. He loved to share his passion with all who wanted to listen and freely gave of his time and talent to teach others his gift of cooking. Greg loved his church and served as the handbell director, was past chair of the Administrative Board and a faithful member of the choir. He loved taking care of the church grounds and spent hours manicuring the lawn before Sunday service. Greg served his community throughout his life by devoting his time and energy to various boards and organizations and was a former president of the Lake Village Chamber of Commerce. One of his most passionate areas of service was to the American Legion Boys State. Greg served the young men of this state for over 44 years in various roles including counselor, administrator, cook and mentor. He was inducted into the Arkansas Boys State Hall of Fame in 2001. Greg was a sports enthusiast and enjoyed fishing and boating. He was a devoted Arkansas Razorback football and basketball fan. He loved to watch former Razorback Stacy Lewis compete on the LPGA. (Go Hogs!) Greg's incredible love and dedication to his entire family was something very special and hard to explain unless you had the opportunity to experience it. He was a role model as a husband, father, brother, brother-in-law, grandfather, friend and relative. If you knew his name then you knew what he stood for and what his name meant. His kind and gentle manner left you never wanting to disappoint him. Greg's accomplishments and influence for all those that knew him are too numerous to list. His ability to mentor and coach people both personally and professionally will be greatly missed and hopefully replicated by those whose lives he touched. Greg's love for Jesus was very evident in the way he lived his life and treated others. He was always the first to put his desires aside to help those he loved, especially his wife and children. He is survived by his wife Debby, daughters, Michelle Carroll & husband Brian, Kristy Dickey and husband Lute, his son, Brock Gregory Bland and wife Frances; grandchildren, Megan Dickey, Sawyer Dickey, Tea Bland, Mina Bland and Jackson Gregory Carroll; sisters, Pat Mangum and husband Floyd, Barbara Waldrup and husband Jimmy, brother-in-law, Joey Wilson and wife Penny, as well as a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and some very special friends and colleagues, many of whom he considered family. A celebration of Life will be held in Lake Village, Arkansas, at Lakeside United Methodist Church on Monday, February 16, 2015, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations be made to the Greg Bland Scholarship Fund at the University of Arkansas Monticello Foundation Fund, P.O. Box 3520, Monticello, Arkansas, 71656 or to Lakeside United Methodist Church in Lake Village, Arkansas. Private burial was handled by Ralph Robinson & Son Funeral Directors. Online register may be signed at www.ralphrobinsonandson.com.