More detail on this person: Flew for Air Log
after Vietnam.
Thomas C. Blecha, 71, Topeka, formerly of
Lakeview, Ark., passed away Sunday, May 27 at
Stormont-Vail Regional Medical Center following a
short illness. He was born in St. Louis, Mo., Aug.
14, 1940, the son of Kasper Blecha and Beulah
Hanley. Tom graduated from Northwest High School
in House Springs, Mo., in 1959. He enlisted in the
U.S. Navy, serving eight years as a machinist's
mate and later joining the U.S. Army, where he
flew helicopters during three tours in Vietnam and
later returned to the states as an instructor
pilot at various bases. He retired from the Army
in 1981 as a Chief Warrant Officer 3, and went on
to fly helicopters for Air Logistics, servicing
oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, for more than
14 years. He moved to Topeka in 2003 to be near
his high school sweetheart, Susan (Hoene) Morley.
While in Topeka, he volunteered at the
Colmery-O'Neil VA Medical Center and was a life
member of the VFW. Tom was married to Mary
Campbell, and later divorced. Tom is survived by
his sons, Jason Blecha (Carrie) of Imperial, Mo.,
and Matthew Blecha (Charmaine) of St. Louis, Mo.;
six grandchildren; a brother, Donald Blecha, of
Festus, Mo., and many nieces and nephews.
Services are pending at Kutis Mortuary, of
Mehlville, Mo. Memorials may be made to the
American Diabetes Association.
Published in Topeka Capital-Journal on May 29,
2012
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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