Earl & Conchita Blazer

A Love That Never Ends...

Some would describe it as love at first sight! Conchita met her future husband Earl Blazer during her freshman year at Maryville College. Their initial meeting blossomed into a lifetime together and ultimately will touch the lives of countless others through the years ahead.

Conchita's father emigrated from Spain and ran a general store in Jefferson, Georgia. He sent Conchita to Tennessee to attend Maryville College to receive a Christian education on the advice of his mailman's brother. She was a 16-year-old Georgia peach with Spanish roots. Earl was a local good old boy from Walland, quite handsome and athletic. They dated throughout college and married after her graduation.

Earl started and built quite a successful independent insurance agency in Maryville. Conchita rolled up her sleeves and joined Earl in the work of the agency. They were active in the community, active in the affairs of Maryville College and active in the life of their church, First United Methodist Church, Maryville. Earl was a lifelong Methodist, believed in tithing and served on several Holston Conference boards.

Earl sold his business around 1970 and he and Conchita traveled around the world. They even visited the Holy Land twice. They had no children of their own, but loved young people and believed strongly in the importance of education and the work of the church. The Blazers paid the way for eleven needy young people to attend Maryville College. Through their work with the Holston Conference, Earl and Conchita met Ben (first director of the Holston Conference Foundation) and Bess St. Clair. Earl became a strong advocate of the fund for starting new churches. It was through this relationship with the St. Clair's that the idea of "giving something back" was first expressed.

Earl died in 1992. Conchita took over the finances and put into practice, quite successfully, the investment skills she learned from her mother. She continued her involvement with church, education, and community affairs until declining health finally took its toll. Conchita died December 17, 2002. Rev. Darris Doyal and Bishop Richard Looney officiated.

Conchita left behind a well-planned will, distributing assets to select family and friends. The majority of the estate is designated for charitable purposes with Maryville College to receive one-half for a scholarship endowment. The Foundation for Evangelism will receive one-fourth and The Holston Conference Foundation will receive one-fourth for an endowment to support new church starts. The Holston Conference's newest endowment will be known as THE EARL AND CONCHITA BLAZER ENDOWMENT. It is estimated that when the estate is completely settled nearly $1.25 million will go into the endowment, which will produce between $40,000-50,000 earnings each year for new church starts. Truly a gift of love that will never end!