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Funeral Monday for treasure hunter who become obsessed with Oak Island legend 

An undated photo of Dan Blankenship, a famed Nova Scotia treasure hunter. HISTORY

A funeral will be held next week for famed Nova Scotia treasure hunter Dan Blankenship.

Blankenship, a U.S. Army veteran who became fixated on the Oak Island mystery, died Sunday at 95.

READ MORE: Dan Blankenship, who dedicated his life to finding treasure on Nova Scotia’s Oak Island, has died

The Mahone Funeral Home website says a visitation will be held Sunday afternoon at the funeral home in Mahone Bay, N.S.

A funeral service will be held Monday afternoon at St. Mark’s Anglican Church in nearby Martins Point.

WATCH: Rules for treasure hunting on Oak Island

Blankenship was a staple on “The Curse of Oak Island,” a reality TV series on the History channel set on the 57-hectare island on Nova Scotia’s south shore.

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He had a successful contracting business in Miami, Fla., when he got hooked on the Oak Island mystery after reading a “Reader’s Digest” story in 1965 and moved to Nova Scotia.

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Blankenship co-owned the island with a group of investors, including brothers Rick and Marty Lagina, who are doing the major work on site now. Their search for treasure has been featured during the reality TV show’s six seasons.

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The Oak Island legend began in 1795 when curious teenage boys began digging at the site, thinking they might find a pirate’s buried treasure. Theories on who may have buried treasure on the island range from pirate Blackbeard to the Knights Templar.

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