Shane “Blue Dog” Leroy Blackford, 67, of Sioux City, Iowa, passed away peacefully on October 22, 2026, surrounded by his family. A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, November 14, from 1–4 p.m. at Riverside Elementary School, 2220 Nash St, Sioux City, IA 51109.

Shane was born on July 13, 1959, in Sioux City, Iowa, to Loren and Irene (Zacek) Blackford. He married Jean Winn, and together they had three children: Megan, Ben, and Laci. They later divorced.

Shane worked for various construction companies as a concrete finisher for more than 30 years.

Shane was immensely proud of his three children. He enjoyed meeting new people and sharing stories. He loved coaching football and baseball and working with kids. He enjoyed fishing, boating, and listening to music. Kids and animals were drawn to him, and he always made sure everyone was included.

Shane is survived by his children, Megan (Blackford) Stokes and her husband, Shane Stokes; Ben Blackford; and Laci Blackford; and by his grandchildren, Sean Stokes and his partner, Carlee; Reese Stokes; Lauren and Lennox Duet. He also leaves his brother, Mark Blackford, and his sisters, Janet Peters, Carol Jones, and Nancy Jorgenson. He is further survived by his girlfriend, Stacy Dye; her children, Jeffrey Dye, Josh and Kristina Kuester; and her grandchildren, Kassidy Dye, Nevaeh, Nathan, Gunner, Madison, Kameron, and Danielle Kuester.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Loren and Irene Blackford, and his brother, Randy Blackford.