Charles John Bleha Obituary (1909 - 2008)

Born Jun 10, 1909, Charles John Bleha attended Charlevoix High School in Charlevoix, MI. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Charles John Bleha.

Graduation Year	Class of 1929
Date of Birth	Jun 10, 1909
Date of Passing	Feb 02, 2008
About	CHARLES J. BLEHA Charles J. Bleha, 98, passed away in Charlevoix February 2, 2008. Born in Detroit on June 10, 1909, Charlie came with his parents, John and Anna (Kinski) Bleha to Charlevoix County in 1914. After his father's death in 1916, he and his mother moved to Charlevoix. He graduated from Charlevoix High School in 1929. Charlie played center on the football team and played trombone in the high school and city bands. Shortly after graduating from high school Charlie took a job with the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, better known as A&P. He worked for A&P in Charlevoix, Sault Ste. Marie, Harbor Springs and Petoskey until drafted into the army in 1942. He served with the 13th Armored Division, a part of General George Pat- ton's Third Army, that fought it's way through France and Germany, including the Battle of the Bulge. After the war, Charlie returned to Charlevoix and man- aged the A&P store. When A&P decided to close its Charlevoix store, he opened his own grocery store, Food Port, on Bridge Street. He sold Food Port in 1957 and went to work for Kroger in Charlevoix until his retirement in 1971. After living on Nettleton Street in Charlevoix from boyhood, Charlie moved with his family in 1957 to Pa Be Shan Lane on North Point where he trapped and hunted as a youth. Charlie was an active, life-long member of the First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ of Charlevoix. He participated in many civic organizations, including treasurer of the Charlevoix County Hospital Board when the present hospital was approved, funded and built; trustee of Charlevoix Township; board member of the Charlevoix Chamber of Commerce; and Cub Scout Master. Charlie was an avid hunter and fisherman, but his real passion was golf. Beginning as a youngster with five wooden-shaft clubs, he competed as an 18-year-old amateur in the 1927 Great Lakes Open. He worked on both the Charlevoix municipal golf course and the Belvedere, where he helped lay the greens. After playing well for nearly 80 years, he gave up golf at age 87 because he could no longer walk the course. His wife of 66 years, Ester (FitzGerald) Bleha passed away in 1999. He is survived by his two sons and their wives, Thomas Bleha and Natasha Simes of Arlington, Virginia and John and Penny (Gibelyou) Bleha of Charlevoix; seven grandchildren and three great- grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 1 at the First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Charlevoix. The family suggests memorial contributions be directed to Hospice of Northwest Michigan, First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, Charlevoix or Charlevoix Area Hospital. The Winchester Funeral Home served the family.