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Bob Blenderman Obituary
August Johannes (Bob) Blenderman
Well-known Kingston artist Bob Blenderman passed away peacefully on May 16, 2025, in his 91st year.
Beloved husband and best friend to Linda Robb Blenderman, Bob was born in 1934 in Bergisch Gladbach, near Cologne, Germany. As a young boy, he loved to read books by American novelist Jack London, and dreamt of living in Canada. He was gifted at drawing but attending art school was not possible; instead, he trained as a cabinetmaker like his father, uncle, and cousin.
Bob immigrated to Kingston in 1954, at age 19, and continued his trade for two years before moving to Northern Ontario for a job as a gold miner with Denison Mines. It was in the North that Bob started to paint in oil, teaching himself by reading books on technique. Missing the special connection he’d felt with the “Limestone City,” he returned in 1961 and became a founding member of Kingston Artists Workshop, while working for Dupont Canada as a textile operator.
During his long career as an artist, Bob varied his mediums and styles. His sailboat paintings in the 1960s and 1990s most clearly demonstrate this range with examples of realism, impressionism, cubism, expressionism, and semi-abstractionism. As the introduction to his 2006 book Kingston A City in Canada notes, his still lifes in oil tend to be hyper-realistic, having something of a Dutch Baroque quality mixed with a kind of orientalism. And his oil paintings of Kingston storefronts are Hopper-like in their stillness and timelessness. In all his work, he aimed to capture the essence of Kingston’s urban uniqueness and Canada’s natural beauty.
Bob’s first book, City and Country: Kingston Drawings, published in 1979 by The Whig-Standard, was a compilation of the popular pen-and-ink drawings and “doodles” the newspaper had commissioned him to do.
Cityscapes were Bob’s first and enduring love, which explains why, of all the accolades he received over the years, two of his most prized were the certificates of recognition from the Ontario Association of Architects and the St. Lawrence Valley Society of Architects.
By the early 1980s, Bob’s work had been featured in countless exhibitions, including a two-man show at Kingston Public Library’s new Wilson Room and a virtually sold-out solo watercolour show at the Brock Street Gallery. He’d been appointed a fellow of the Ottawa Society of Painters in Watercolour. And galleries across Ontario and, later, in Alberta, South Carolina, and Germany represented him.
When he wasn’t painting, Bob loved exploring Kingston’s buildings and architecture. He was often seen walking and sketching downtown or meeting friends for coffee at such places as Andrea’s, Golden Rooster, and Peter’s porch.
In 2022, Bob moved to Kingston’s Trillium Care Community where he enjoyed frequent visits with his wife, family, and close friends. He loved nature and animals and enjoyed watching wildlife documentaries while sipping an espresso with a shot of Baileys.
Bob was predeceased by his mother Klara Blenderman (nee Fink), father August Blenderman, son Gordon, daughter Joyce, and nephew Jochen. In Germany, he is survived by his brother Albert (Anita), sisters Krista (late Hans Herkenrath) and Ursula (Wilfred Brever), niece Jasmine, and nephews Daniel and Marcus. In Canada, Bob is survived by his wife Linda, his children Debi, Bobby, Steven, Gisele (Shawn), and daughter-in-law Tammy Buckley (Chris). He is also lovingly remembered by good friends Renee, Sylvia, Don, Mark, Barry and many others.
As per Bob’s wishes, cremation has taken place. An inurnment will take place at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family would welcome donations to a charity dealing with food insecurity such as the Partners in Mission Food Bank, Loving Spoonful Kingston, or Martha’s Table.
August 26 1934
May 16 2025
Death notice for the town of: Kingston, Province: Ontario
death notice Bob Blenderman August 26 1934
May 16 2025
obituaries notice Bob Blenderman August 26 1934
May 16 2025
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Bob Blenderman August 26 1934
May 16 2025 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
