Local Olympic hero Blatnick to be laid to rest

Niskayuna’s Jeff Blatnick is shown after winning the gold medal on Aug. 3, 1984 in Los Angeles in Greco- Roman wrestling for the U.S. during the Summer Games. (The Associated Press)

Funeral services and calling hours have been set for Olympic hero and Niskayuna native Jeff Blatnick, who died Wednesday from cardiopulmonary arrest.

Calling hours will be held Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m. at Glenville Funeral Home, 9 Glenridge Road, Glenville. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Monday at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Grace Church, at 73 Midline Road in his hometown of Ballston Lake. Burial will be in Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery in Niskayuna.

Blatnick was 55 when he died, sending shockwaves through a local community that revered him for his lifetime of accomplishments, character and giving back to his community.

He had beaten Hodgkin’s lymphoma prior to winning the Olympic gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, and again afterward.

Blatnick toured the country as a motivational speaker and also held several stints as a sports commentator over the years.

For the past six years, he volunteered as a varsity wrestling coach at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School, where his wife, Lori, worked as a bus driver and his two children, Ian and Niki, went to school.

His family asked that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made in his memory to the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Wrestling Scholarship Fund. Contributions can be mailed to the BH-BL Booster Club at 5 Beverly Court, Glenville, NY 12302.

The Journeymen Wrestling Club, which has a local wrestling program, is raising money to send to Blatnick’s family.

Donations will be collected until Nov. 24, when the 10th annual Journeymen/ASICS Northeast Collegiate Duals will take place in Troy and a special tribute will be held in Blatnick’s honor.

All donations will go to the family.

The club asks that donations be made out to Journeymen Wrestling Club, LTD, with the memo line “Jeff Blatnick,” and mailed to 2220 Balltown Road, Niskayuna, NY 12309.