Aaron “Sam” Blanchard, beloved fencing coach and artist, dies at 56
Aaron Sam Blanchard, known to all as Sam, died peacefully on Dec. 2 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, surrounded by his wife and daughters. He was 56.
With loved ones spread across the country, Sam left a wide void in the lives of those he touched, from the young and old fencers he coached in Princeton and Lambertville to countless friends in the fencing and comics communities.
Sam’s life, full of adventures, began in Oregon and took him to New Jersey.
Born in Salem, Oregon, he grew up in Independence, Oregon, enjoying a near-mythical Gen X childhood filled with freedom. He spent his days bicycling, racing in soapbox derbies, reading comics, and honing his artistic talents, which he inherited from his parents.
Sam first encountered fencing in 1987 while studying at the University of Oregon. Years later, as a young single father to his son, Bjorn, he earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the Oregon Institute of Technology.
After moving to Portland with his son, Sam began fencing competitively with foil at the Studio of American Fencing in 1995. He met his wife, Cate, a New Jersey native, in 1997, and the two relocated to the Garden State in 1998. On Sept. 15, 2000, the family moved to Princeton, but three days later, Sam was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. He successfully overcame cancer through nine months of grueling treatment while continuing to commute to New York City daily.
Sam began fencing at the Princeton YMCA in 2004 under the guidance of coach and friend Charles Hurley. In 2012, he became the coach of the Princeton High School fencing team, a role he cherished. Coaching his daughter Ursula during her high school fencing career brought him special joy.
In 2018, Sam joined the Bucks County Academy of Fencing in Lambertville, New Jersey, as a coach after years of being a member. He also founded the Princeton Interscholastic Fencing Club that year to further share his love for the sport.
After leaving the corporate world in December 2019, Sam achieved his dream of coaching fencing full-time. When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted his plans, he devoted himself to his other passion—art. Working under the pen name “Shlepzig,” inspired by a character in Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon, Sam gained recognition as an indie comics artist. After the world reopened, he became a regular at comic conventions and amassed fans worldwide.
Sam had many plans for the future, including creating more comics, teaching fencing classes, starting after-school fencing clubs, and embracing the adventures of grandparenthood.
Sam was preceded in death by his father, Melvin Blanchard, in May 2021, and his son, Bjorn Blanchard, in July 2024.
He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Cate; three daughters, Phoebe Blanchard, Ursula Blanchard (Riley) of Burnaby, British Columbia, and Jessica LeDuc (Michael) of Portland, Oregon; his mother, Merry Ann Blanchard of Lincoln City, Oregon; his sister, Andrea Whitaker (Ben) of Sherwood, Oregon; and two grandsons, Nikolai and Hawthorne of Portland, Oregon. He is also survived by several nieces, nephews, friends, students, former fencing students, and fans of his artwork.
A celebration of Sam’s life will be held at a later date at the Bucks County Academy of Fencing. The family asks that donations be made in his memory to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society or the United States Fencing Foundation.
Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.
A life well-lived, and far too short. Prayers of comfort to Cate and the family.
Sam played such an incredible role in my life through his personal charity and forgiveness. He very well could’ve been done with me when my life’s most devastating downturn affected his life in a negative way. But when I pulled myself together, got back to the person he knew, he forgave me and made time to meet with me. He’s one of the very best people I’ve ever known and I’m going to miss him more than I can say.
Sam is my son and he shall ever live in my heart. He brought me joy from his birth to his death of his body. One of the adult moments that resonates with me was going to a comic con and writing a comic about the event. What a joy he brought as we laughed together enjoying mutual passion in art and writing. When he was in the preschool ages of 3 to 5 he was told nearly daily that he was lovable and capable. During that period I wrote a book about his persuasive persistence. He brought a cat into our lives. I am so glad he continued to love cats and dogs his whole life and even had a character in his comic Red – I think the cat was really the hero of that story. Sam was my hero, my first child and a great love of my life.
Only once did I get to meet Sam thorugh his Mom, my dear friend. He heartily embraced my son Samuel and I with an impromptu fencing lesson, and introduction to his artistic side. He was passionate about life then, and I’m sure his many other pursuits. My prayers go out over all those who are looking for comfort because of his absence.