Charles Edmund Bledsoe

Charles E. Bledsoe, 88, died at his Portland residence on May 31, 2011 with his much loved wife and family at his side. The son of Herbert and Elizabeth (Halderman) Bledsoe, Charles was born in Tucson, Arizona on September 13, 1922. As a young child he moved with his parents to southern California where he resided in El Monte and Pomona and graduated from high school. On May 3, 1952 he married Betty Jean Winkler whom he had known since she was seven years of age. They established their first home at Hamilton Air Force Base in San Francisco, California. Charles served in the United States Navy for three years during World War II. Joining the US Air Force he was stationed in the Pacific Theatre of action during the conclusion of the conflict and then in Alaska, Okinawa and Japan before returning stateside where he served until retirement in 1966. During his Air Force service he became interested in electronics, a field he pursued after his honorable discharge. He worked for General Electric Company for 15 years until his retirement. Charles enjoyed dabbling in electronics of all sorts, computer technology and enjoyed transferring family photographs into digital form. He was an avid reader, and was faithful in feeding the birds and squirrels that visited his backyard. His family was his priority and he and his wife Betty enjoyed a special bond of many, many years. In addition to his wife Betty, Charles is survived by daughters Cindy Ault of Jamestown, North Dakota and Maureen Noblitt of Gresham, OR; son Chuck Bledsoe of Juneau, AK; sister Evelyn Krizek of Lacey, WA; grandchildren Robin, Amanda, Jessica, Tim, Jenny, Misty and Jeremy; great-grandchildren Delanie, Jesus, Nevada, Breanna, Rebecca and Caleb; and numerous nieces, nephews and other members of his extended family. Full military honors will be accorded Charles at his graveside service at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland on Monday June 6, 2011 at 1:00 PM. A reception for family and friends will be held immediately following at the family residence. Memorials may be made to any Veteran's organization. His guestbook is available at www.penttilaschapel.com.