An American who devoted his life to treasure hunting on Nova Scotia’s Oak Island was remembered Monday as a larger-than-life figure who became a pillar of the community where he lived for more than 50 years
Nearly 120 people gathered in a small wood-paneled church in the seaside community of Martins Point for the funeral of Dan Blankenship.
Blankenship, a US Army veteran who became passionate about the Oak Island mystery, died on March 17 at the age of 95.
The ceremony included a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” “He enjoyed his life,” said the Rev. Ron Barkhouse of St. Mark’s Anglican Church, where Blankenship often attended services. “He was 95 years old to do what he wanted to do.”
Blankenship was a major character in “The Curse of Oak Island,” a History Channel reality television series set on the 57-acre island off the south coast of Nova Scotia. David Eisnor, a longtime family friend, said during a eulogy that Blankenship was known around the world as a treasure hunting legend, but he had many interests. “His CV would include fisherman, diver, quarterback for his love of football, dancer and singer, fast food burger, ice cream vendor, tour bus mechanic…and gardener with a green thumb, to name a few Eisnor said. .
Blankenship became connected to the story of Oak Island after reading an article in Reader’s Digest in 1965 at his home in Florida.
The legend of Oak Island began in 1795 when curious teenagers began digging at the site, thinking they might find a pirate’s buried treasure. Theories on who could have buried the treasure on the island range from the pirate Blackbeard to the Templars.
Eisnor said that at the time, Blankenship asked his wife Jane to read the article, hoping to pique her curiosity. “He picked it up and said, ‘So what?'” Eisnor said, drawing laughter from the crowd.
“Dan told him, ‘Well, first, there’s a treasure on Oak Island, and second, I’m going to find it. “”
“It’s such a statement, in a nutshell, that sums up Dan’s unbridled determination in everything he’s done.”
When Blankenship arrived in Nova Scotia, leaving behind a successful contracting business in Miami, Florida, he stayed at the Oak Island Motel, owned by Eisnor’s grandparents.
Eventually, Blankenship built a house on Oak Island to be closer to the elusive treasure. Eisnor described his childhood and the colored pencil scribbles that Blankenship used to draw diagrams of the money pit where some believe the treasure is hidden. Blankenship owns the island with a group of investors, including brothers Rick and Marty Lagina, who are currently doing the most extensive work on the site. His treasure hunt was featured in all six seasons of the reality show.
Rick Lagina was among the mourners at Monday’s ceremony.
In recent years, Blankenship has enjoyed meeting fans who have come to the island for tours, driving to meet them at a museum in his golf cart, wearing Bermuda shorts, knee socks and a button-down sweater. Oak Island is a baseball cap. He always came first. “Dan spent a lot of the summer without ever missing a tour… The fans loved talking to Dan, taking pictures with him. He loved it,” Eisnor said, adding that Blankenship was the catalyst for a new era in Oak history. Island.
“A new generation of Oak Island enthusiasts is now intrigued by the same mystery that brought Dan to Canada.”
