Alumni Spotlight: Walter Blessey '62

Walter Blessey ’62

OCCUPATION Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Blessey Marine Services, Inc.

PROFESSION Engineering

MILITARY SERVICE United States Army

EDUCATION St. Martin’s Episcopal High School, 1962; Bachelor’s in Engineering, Tulane University, 1967; J.D., Tulane School of Law, 1970

It is no secret that Walter Blessey Jr. ’62 is an outstanding StM alumnus. In fact, in 2012 he was named the recipient of the Martin De Tours Award; the school’s highest alumni honor is given each year to one notable alumni who exemplifies our values of Faith, Scholarship, and Service.

In the spring of 2017, he was again lauded by one of his alma maters. This time it was Tulane University, which awarded him the Emeritus Club’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Most recently he has been recognized by Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans ( JA), which named its local headquarters after him. In a ceremony on Oct. 30, 2018, the building was officially renamed The Walter E. Blessey Jr. Free Enterprise Center of Learning.

The organization is dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in a global economy. Blessey serves as an emeritus board member of Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans. He is a former board member and has long supported the mission of JA.

Blessey notes that his time at St. Martin’s helped shape his view on the importance of service to others. When reflecting on St. Martin’s mission of Faith, Scholarship, and Service, he noted that ‘Service’ means “not being all about oneself, but rather giving to and supporting others. Givers are happier people than takers.”

Faith and scholarship also play into his views on giving and supporting others. To Blessey, ‘Faith’ means “faith in God and faith in yourself to do the right thing.”

And he believes that ‘Scholarship’ is more than just striving to acquire knowledge, but that “one continually strives to do better in all aspects of life.”

Blessey added, “I look back on my days at St. Martin’s with fond memories. I believe that the warm family atmosphere, the great students, and the Christian values that were instilled in us shaped the rest of our lives. St. Martin’s was the crucible where it all started.”

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