Harold Edward (Ed) Bloss, 88, a longtime resident of 75 Crestview Drive, South Lebanon, passed away on October 1st after a long and full life.
He was born on December 25, 1933, to Harold LaMonte and Leola (nee Wood) Bloss in Whitesville, New York.
After graduation from Whitesville Central School in 1951, where he served as the class President, the class Valedictorian, and an All-Star baseball and basketball player, receiving offers from the Washington Senators major league baseball team.
He attended Alfred University, where he studied engineering and was President of his freshman class and a member of the Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity.
Following graduation from college with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, he was awarded his Professional Engineers License. An Army Veteran, he served at Edgewater Proving Grounds, assisting in the development of binary munitions.
Following his Honorable Discharge, he had a long successful career as a civilian engineer, Project Engineer, and Project Manager in primarily the performance, research and development, and supervision of Environmental Engineering projects with General Electric/Buell Envirotech (Lebanon, PA) Research – Cottrell (Bound Brook, NJ), AirPreheater (Wellsville, NY), and the Naval Shipyard (Philadelphia).
Significant accomplishments included professional papers and presentations, as well as the co-invention and US patents on his work.
In his spare time, he was a Village Trustee and volunteer fireman (Dyke St. Eng#2) in Wellsville, NY, County Chairman of the Republican Club, a life-long Rotarian, a 32nd Degree Mason from the Andover Lodge, and Chairman of numerous church committees at the Zion United Methodist Church of Iona (South Lebanon).
At Alfred University in 1953, on a blind date, he met Jessie Elizabeth Bloss (nee Barnes). They married after college and raised four children and eight grandchildren: Vicki (Steve) Seifred with grandchildren Stephanie and Sarah (Mark) Simonetti, Rick (Gail) Bloss with grandchildren Katie and Jessica, Deb (Ross) Velardi with grandchildren Matt and Andrea, and Michelle (Eric) Hitchens with grandchildren Garrett and Audrey.
In later life, he loved supporting veterans’ groups, established a scholarship at Alfred University in his name, and spent time with his dogs Hans and Hunter (both German Shorthair pointers), gardening, and enjoying time with his children and grandchildren.
He is predeceased by his wife, Jessie Elizabeth Bloss, in 1999.
Viewing and family condolences will be held at Christman’s Funeral home, 226 Cumberland St, Lebanon, PA (717) 272-7431) on October 7th with a viewing at 1:00, a service at 2:00, and immediately followed by burial at Zion United Methodist Church of Iona Cemetery at 1920 S. 5th Avenue, South Lebanon (Iona) PA.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations are made to the Alzheimer’s Association- Greater PA Chapter, 2595 Interstate Dr suite 100, Harrisburg, PA 17110, American Red Cross,1220 Mifflin Street, Lebanon, PA 17046, or National Alzheimer’s Association, the American Red Cross or Disabled American Veterans PO Box 42938 Philadelphia, PA 19101, organizations our father felt very strongly about.
