Lydia Marie Blackman of Searcy, Arkansas, passed away on Tuesday, June 16, 2026.

She was born in Landsthul, West Germany on November 24, 1971. Parents were Paul and Rebecca Blackman. They returned to the United States in 1972, when Lydia was five months old.

The family settled in Smackover, Arkansas, where Lydia attended the Smackover Public Schools. Later, they moved to Camden, Arkansas. At Camden High School, Lydia played the trumpet in her Father’s band and her mother was one of her English teachers. She was an enthusiastic member of the stage crew for the school’s auditorium. She was so interested in working back stage that she traveled to Los Angeles, California for a national convention for students who worked in this area. On stage, she played the part of Penelope Sycamore in the Drama Department’s production of You Can’t Take It With You.

Lydia attended the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas. While there, she studied Mass Communications. To help fund her schooling, she worked at KUCA, the school’s radio station. She produced a radio show called, “Hailing Frequencies Open,” based on the Star Trek t.v. series, To gather information and interviews for her show, she attended Star Trek conventions in Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and a major one in Burbank, California. There she met members of the original Star Trek cast.

After graduating from UCA in 1995, Lydia moved to Searcy, Arkansas, where she studied computer technology at the branch campus of Arkansas State University (Beebe). She remained in Searcy to live and work.

Lydia was also deeply interested in the history of movies and pop music. This was an on-going, personal study for her throughout her lifetime.

Lydia Marie Blackman was preceded in death by: father, Paul Bernard Blackman, Jr.; grand mother, Jane Rosen Hundmer; grand parents, Paul and Marie Blackman.

She is survived by: mother, Rebecca Matthews Blackman; cousins, Sammy and Marian Morgan; Deanna and Porter Spangler; Chris Grow; and Cody Morgan.

Burial of cremains will be at 10:00AM Saturday, August 01, 2026 at Memorial Park Cemetery.  A memorial service will follow burial at 11:00AM at First Presbyterian Church.