Ellett Gilbert Bliss

Ellett Gilbert Bliss, Jr. was born May 8, 1933 to Ellett and Florence (Leavenworth) Bliss in St. Luke's Hospital, Denver, Colorado. He only had one younger sister, Norma, now deceased. She had one son, Jim Logue.

In his youth he spent time in the Cub and Boy Scouts, played baseball in the Old Timers, and was a choir boy and altar boy as his Episcopal Church. He attended Park Hill grade school, Smiley Junior High and East High School in Denver. He was in the ROTC in high school.

He joined the Naval Air Reserve right out of High School in 1951. The Naval Air Station at Buckley was where he did his active duty. After his required enlistment period, he took a break from the service. He then reenlisted in the reserves. He retired as a Chief in 1989 at Pt. Mugu, California with twenty-one years service. His two weeks of active duty each year found him in various places such as: Misawa, Japan; Kadena, Okinawa; Aganua, Guam; Cubi Point, Philippines; Barbers Point Hawaii and Pt. Mugu, California.

In April 1954 while riding motorcycles with his buddy, Dusty Barnes ran out in the street and stopped them. Her girlfriend was Rusty Johnson (aka Arlene Johnson). That is how he met the love of his life. They were married June 5, 1955 in her country church (Zion Lutheran Church) out of Noonan, ND. They just saw sixty-seven years before he passed away on Father's Day. They were blessed with two children: Robert Dale born March 27, 1956 and Betty Ann born December 18, 1958. They have eight grandchildren: Kelli Bishop, Josh Sanders, Shannon Gutowski, Chelsea Thompson, Allen and Nikki Falk, Nancy Steinle and Amber Schroeder. They also have ten great-grandchildren: Caleb, Evie, Silas, Lily and Keira Bishop, Gavin Sanders, Ty Gutowski, King Thomas, Kaleb and Makayla Steinle.

Gil got his Civil Aviation Authority pilot license, with the help of his G. I. Bill, at Sky Ranch located in Denver in 1956. He then accepted a crop spraying job at Minot, ND. While he was working for the Farmers Spraying company out of Minot, in the spring of 1956, he was one of the first pilots to fly out of Minot Air Force Base. Farmers Spraying had the contract to spray the base for bugs and weeds. They were given the right to use the one runway that was finished for their operation on the base.

Moving back to Denver in 1959, he went to work for Continental Airlines (CAL) in January as a Jr. Mechanic. He was also going to Emily Griffith Opportunity School for his Federal Aviation Administration Airframe and Powerplant License. He retired in May 1995 with thirty-six years as an aircraft mechanic. He worked in various places including: Honolulu, Hawaii; Los Angeles, CA; and Denver, CO. He attended many additional training courses on the various Aircraft that CAL flew. During one of his lay-offs from Continental in 1967, he went to work for Frontier Airlines (FAL). Gil spent over two years with FAL between Denver, CO and Billings, MT before being recalled to Continental in 1969. He then moved back to Aurora, CO and continued working for CAL.

He and Rusty have enjoyed many activities through the years. They enjoyed 4-wheeling for many years with their two kids and others. They also did a lot of riding motorcycles together. Then Rusty got her own motorcycle and they rode separately. They went to Canada and rode three Provinces including about 105 miles up the Alcan Highway in 1981. In 1982, they rode in all the counties of Colorado and the outlying states. They actually rode in ten states as well.

They took up square dancing in 1971. They were the first presidents of their new club, Sing Thru's. They danced in many states for the National, Regional and State Festivals. They held many offices in their club, the Denver Council and the State Association. They were inducted into the Denver Area Square and Round Dance Council Hall of Fame in 1994. Square Dancing is spoken in English throughout the world. That allowed Gil to dance at a Japanese club in Japan and also in Guam while on deployments with the Navy.

Gil and Rusty learned to ski in the Rocky Mountains in 1990 and enjoyed that with family. They bought a motor home and a member ship in Hart Ranch. Hart Ranch is a camping resort near Rapid City, SD. They have enjoyed going there every year. They traveled with the motor home every summer until Gil couldn't get up into it anymore. They bought five acres in unincorporated Arapahoe County southwest of Bennett. They have a Bennett, CO mailing address and built a home there in 2006. It is the Country living that they love.

They joined St. Mark's Lutheran Church in 1962 and have been very active through the years. Their family played softball with the St. Mark's team for a few years. Gil ushered for many years at St. Mark's until he was unable to.

He was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy in September 1994. Although it was a very slow progressing kind of Dystrophy, it finally started affecting his activity. Cancer is what finally took him this year. He fought a brave fight and didn't complain. Fortunately, the MD wasn't painful. The Lord blessed us with twenty-eight years together after he was diagnosed with the MD. Most MD patients are lucky to get just five to ten years more of life. May God bless him richly. He will be missed greatly by all who knew him.

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