Gary Keith Blecha
Obituaries
The Daily Sentinel page 4B - December 19, 2021
Gary Blecha, 74 (days
away from 75), passed
away peacefully on
December 13, 2021, at
HopeWest Care Center in
Grand Junction, Colorado.
He was born in Southwest
City, Missouri, on December 30, 1946, to Glenn and
Katy Blecha. Glenn moved the family several times and
purchased and built a home in Delta, Colorado.
Gary graduated in the class of 1965 at Delta High
School. Growing up in Delta, Gary was President of
the 4-H Club where he raised hogs and cattle. He also
danced in the State 4-H square dance competition in Ft.
Collins, CO, where the team took a blue ribbon. He ran
track and played football, and Gary’s senior year, the
Delta Panthers were 2A state football champions.
He worked for the BLM doing surveying on Grand
Mesa during the summer after graduation and attended
Colorado State University in 1965/1966. He received
his draft notice for military duty and served from
September 1966 through September 1968 as an Army
Military Policeman (in Vietnam for one year). He was
extremely proud of his service to our country.
After serving his country, he accepted a position at
Xerox corporation in California as a repair technician
for a short time. After having had enough of California,
Gary returned to Colorado (Denver) and began working
at American Stratigraphic, drafting rock and soil
formations.
Gary and Genevieve were married June 5, 1971, at
St. Michael’s Church in Delta, Colorado. They lived
in Denver for ten years and while there, Gary worked
for Western Electric, Petro-Lewis Corporation, and
S.A. Scott & Company. Their son, Garrett, was born
in 1978 in Denver. To raise their family, Gary and
Genevieve moved to Grand Junction. Gary worked for
Gingery Associates, first as a structural draftsman and
then in surveying. One of Gingery’s projects was the
Planned Unit Development at Battlement Mesa. Jake,
their second son, was born in 1987. When Exxon closed
their oil shale project and Grand Junction experienced
economic decline, Gary found work to take care of his
family, working for the Mesa County Sheriff’s office
as a detention officer. Shift work was difficult for Gary
and family. In 1989 Gary began working for Aluminum
Specialties until the company closed, He worked in
various capacities for Mays Construction Specialties,
Ford Construction Company, Western Slope Iron, and
finished his career with Mor-Storage Sales.
Gary enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, motorcycles,
and working in his garage. He most enjoyed his family
in the outdoors, riding motorcycles and building a
cabin at Blue Mesa Ranches near Gunnison, and more
recently, watching his grandsons successfully compete
nationally in motocross. Gary and Genevieve celebrated
50 years of marriage on June 5, 2021.
Gary is survived by his wife, Genevieve; sons, Garrett
(Holly) and Jake; grandchildren, Dilon and Cole; sister
and brother, Glenna and Joey; niece and nephew, Jill
(Steve), and their children, Miles and Brooke, and Brian
(Tiffany), and their children, McKenzie and Jax, and
aunt, Arlene. He is preceded in death by his parents,
numerous aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
Gary accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. We
believe he now lives in heaven with his Lord Jesus. He
was a very gifted man with a sharp wit, always with a
comeback, and honest. Gary will be greatly missed by
many, many people.
A memorial service with be December 28, 2021,
10:00 a.m. in the chapel at Canyon View Vineyard
Church, 736-24 1/2 Road, Grand Junction, CO.
Any memorial contributions can be made to Canyon
View Vineyard Church or HopeWest Care Center, in
Gary’s name, for all of their kindness.
