Blake Kennedy Box Ii

Blake Kennedy Box II, 34, of Amarillo and Dallas, TX, passed away May 14, 2023, at his home in Amarillo, TX.   He was the eldest child of Danielle Farrell of

Santa Fe, NM and Blake Box of Dallas, TX.  He is survived by his sister Belton Claire Box, and his nieces Camden and Cadence of Dallas, grandparents Sandra M. Childers and Miles B. Childers, L. Louise Box, and the late Boyce Box, all of Amarillo, as well as a host of uncles, aunts, and cousins. He will be profoundly missed by his step father Jim Farrell and step siblings.  Blake was born Blake Kennedy Box II in Dallas on February 27, 1989, at St. Paul’s Hospital during a rare Dallas snowstorm.

He grew up preferring the cold and the outdoors, mostly in the Texas panhandle and the mountains of New Mexico.  He enjoyed duck and dove hunting and often invited numerous friends to join his hunts.  His greatest sports love, though, was fishing.  Blake grew up on Dallas’ Turtle Creek and began fishing as a toddler – learning to tie his own flies as early as the first grade.  He was an excellent marksman and avid downhill snow skier, spending winters of his youth beginning at age two on the slopes of Taos, NM.

Blake’s first job was as a 15-year-old sports videographer for his Dallas Highland Park High sports teams, where he would be assigned to manage the school’s video equipment and film in-game action for several of the school’s varsity sports teams. He worked summer jobs in construction and spent time in his Grandfather’s summer garden, which later influenced him to build and grow his own gardens. He was a member of the Scots’ perennial state power tennis program and attended summer camps at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch. His talent on the court resulted in him being offered a scholarship to play for John Newcombe while attending the nearby high school. Blake chose to return to Dallas.  Upon graduation from Highland Park H.S., Blake hung up his tennis racket competitively but continued his love of the game by helping coach children’s summer tennis programs and devoting energy to his love for music, the guitar and his university studies.

He graduated from Texas Tech University in 2015 with a B.S. in Natural Resource Management and returned to Dallas when offered a job by Amec Foster Wheeler Consulting and Engineering. Blake’s knowledge and passion for plants, grasses and soils aided in his excelling at work. This led to greater responsibilities, culminating in his exposure to assigned-client D.R. Horton Home Builders, later being tasked with performing the environmental inspections on new home sites. This relationship resulted in Blake recognizing the opportunity in real estate. After several years with AFW, Blake resigned his position, acquired his Texas real estate license and struck out on his own, founding Dallas Development Group.

In the fall of 2022 Blake’s desire to pursue his passion for a better environment drew him back to the Texas Panhandle he loved to accept a position with the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality in Amarillo.  He was employed by TCEQ at his passing.

He loved animals and was especially fond of his pet rescue dog, Mini.  Blake enjoyed cooking and tending his vegetable garden, specifically loving varieties of tomatoes and peppers. He was an enthusiastic reader and enjoyed the classics. Some of his favorites were the works of J.K. Rowling, J.R.R, Tolkien and Frank Patrick Herbert. He had a kind, sweet spirit and a gentle heart. He was a loving son and brother.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. May 19, 2023 at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 1601 S. Georgia St., Amarillo, TX  79102.  A celebration of his life reception will follow in the Church’s Great Hall.  Interment at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to The American Heart Association or St. Andrews Episcopal School, Amarillo, TX.

Link to Funeral Service: [www.boxwellbrothers.com]