“Dad hunted and fished all of his life,” said his son, Andy Blakley. “As a landscape contractor, he also understood the necessity of preserving the soil, including wildlife habitats.”

Paul A. Blakley Jr., of Butler County, Pa., founder and owner of the P.A. Blakley Contracting Co., died from complications of an enlarged heart on Wednesday, Aug. 22. He passed while working at his office in Clinton. He was 58.

Shortly after he returned from a tour of duty in Vietnam, Mr. Blakley began working as a landscaper, first for a company and then for himself.

In 1998, along with his wife, Candace, whom he met in high school and married in 1977, Mr. Blakley established their landscaping company.

Andy Blakley, who received his degree in turf grass science from Penn State University, said he learned much from his father.

“Dad not only knew the business, but he was ethical in his dealings with his employees and with his clients. He often said to me that there was the right way and the wrong way and that he expected me to do the right things.”