- Date Of Birth: March 29, 1930
- Date Of Death: May 20, 2017
- State: Colorado
Howard Wayne Bleich, 87, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, died at 3:25 a.m. on Saturday, May 20, 2017. He received compassionate care during his brief stay in the Pikes Peak Hospice Unit at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs and passed away with his daughters at his bedside.
Howard was born March 29, 1930 in Roberts, Illinois, the youngest child of Otto C. and Ida E. (Fuoss) Bleich. He married Ruth V. Virkus on August 17, 1958 in Onarga, Illinois, and together they raised their daughters, first in Morton, Illinois, and then in Fort Morgan, Colorado after they moved there in 1973.
Survivors include his three daughters, Kimberly Bleich, Audrey Bleich (Brett Scruggs), and Deborah (Stephen) Otten; three grandchildren, Kassidy & Levi Otten, and Morgan Bleich; one sister, Viola (the late Robert) Rowan; four generations of nieces & nephews; and many friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, five brothers, and two sisters.
Howard graduated from Roberts (Illinois) High School in 1948 and spent his early years working with family in both farming & carpentry. He served four years in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He began a 30-year career with the same company when he went to work for Interlocking Fence Company in Morton, Illinois in 1959. When the company transitioned from selling farm goods & roofing materials to the construction of pole barns, he earned distinction as Morton Buildings, Inc.’s first crew foreman and later their first supervisor.
Howard enjoyed working on jigsaw puzzles and playing cards, board games, & croquet. For the past eight years, he played cribbage twice a week at the Colorado Springs Senior Center. Whether he was camping, hunting, riding his 4-wheelers or his snowmobiles, Howard enjoyed outdoor recreation, especially in the Colorado mountains.
Howard worked hard all of his life and many were the recipients of his projects such as a dog house, chicken coop, or a new roof. He was devoted to his family, not just to his daughters & grandchildren, but also to his large extended family scattered around the country.
