48 | SEPTEMBER 3 • 2020
A Life of Service
JUDY GREENWALD CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A
dedicated military
man, a proficient
technical writer,
married to his childhood
sweetheart for 68 years, a
proud father and grandfather,
selfless, humble, with a love
of country and family —
these qualities only begin to
describe Calvin Blum, who
died Aug. 18, 2020, at age 92.
The youngest of five sons
of Abraham and Celia Blum,
four of whom simultane-
ously served in the armed
forces, Mr. Blum was born in
Brooklyn, New York.
His father was a well-
known Yiddish playwright.
The celebrated song “Bei Mir
Bistu Shein”— made famous
by the Andrew Sisters — was
written for his 1932 Yiddish
operetta, I Would If I Could.
His father’
s talents were
instrumental in Calvin’
s love
of music, culminating in
his playing trumpet for the
Wurlitzer Youth Orchestra.
His brother Murray was
killed in action in 1943 while
saving a drowning sailor, and
it was this heroic act — one
of many performed by “the
Blum boys” — that prompted
him to enlist in the Air Force
at 17. He served for 23½
years, attaining the rank of
Master Sergeant, and while
in Vietnam, exhibited brav-
ery under fire as he worked
to repair communications
equipment when a bomb
exploded nearby, and a piece
of shrapnel narrowly missed
him. He proudly displayed
that piece of metal alongside
his many military honors.
Mr. Blum’
s long service
record was outranked only by
his marriage to wife, Phyllis.
The two met when he was 12
and she 10, and their friend-
ship led to real romance. The
military played a role in that
as well. “He looked so hand-
some in his uniform,” Phyllis
recalled. “We had a fairytale
wedding. We were married in
June 1952 on the nationwide
CBS television show, Bride and
Groom.”
To honor his father’
s desire
to connect people, Mr. Blum
worked to improve relations
in the countries where he was
stationed and helped to estab-
lish the People to People pro-
gram in Japan. Using books
supplied by Washington, he
and his wife taught Japanese
children to speak English.
“The local teachers said these
students were the only chil-
dren speaking with Brooklyn
accents,” Phyllis recalled.
After his USAF service, Mr.
Blum became an expert in
military defense vehicle oper-
ations and authored technical
manuals. He and his wife later
opened a travel agency and
were able to travel the world.
The couple raised four chil-
dren, first in Livonia and then
in West Bloomfield, where
they attended Temple Israel.
High Holiday services were
especially meaningful, as were
the joyous family dinners
shared afterward.
“We must also remember
the pride, love and humility
Calvin maintained even to the
end for his family and coun-
try,” Phyllis said.
Mr. Blum was specially
honored with a full military
funeral and military flyover
during his memorial service.
In his family’
s words, this
honor was a well-deserved
recognition of the Blum fami-
ly’
s legacy of patriotism.
Phyllis summed up her
own lifelong legacy of love
with her husband: “When we
first met, I saw something
special in him. He was smart,
strong, brave, patient, an
amazing father and grand-
father, a wonderful listener
with a good sense of humor.
He always said ‘
Today, we’
re
going to make it a happy day
… and he always did!”
In addition to his wife, Mr.
Blum is survived by his four
children, Laurence, Arlin,
Keith and his wife, Dawn,
and Adina; grandchildren,
Breanna, Maxwell, Mia,
Preston and Bentley; brother
Monte’
s wife, Helene, and
their children, Robin, Murray,
his wife, Kelley, and their son
Jordan; grand-niece, Carle.
Mr. Blum was predeceased
by his parents and his broth-
ers, Herman, Simon, Murray
and Monte.
Phyllis and Calvin Blum
Soul
of blessed memory
DORIS BILLES,
93, of Novi, died
Aug. 24, 2020.
She is survived
by her husband
of 68 years, Eric
Billes; daughter, Elaine Billes;
grandchildren, Allison Billes
and Gregory Billes; brother-
in-law and sister-in-law, Bruce
and Phyllis Billes; many loving
nieces and nephews.
Mrs. Billes was the proud
grandmother of the late Brian
David Billes; the loving sister
of the late Willard Stringer.
Interment was at Clover
Hill Park Cemetery.
Contributions may be made
to Holocaust Memorial
Center, 28123 Orchard Lake
Road, Farmington Hills,
MI 48334, holocaustcenter.
org; Southern Poverty Law
Center, 400 Washington Ave.,
Montgomery, AL 46104,
donate.splcenter.org/sslpage.
aspx?pid=463; or to a charity
of one’
s choice. Arrangements
by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
GLORIA
COLLEN, 92, of
West Bloomfield,
died Aug. 22,
2020.
A lifelong
Michigan resident, she led a
full and active life character-
ized by intellectual curiosity
and humor and a deep love for
her family.
Mrs. Collen is survived by
her daughter and son-in-law,
Joni and Dr. Fred Fischer
of Farmington Hills; sons
and daughters-in-law, Dr.
Andrew and Kathy Collen of
Commerce Township, Michael
Collen and Susie Cohan of
Farmington Hills, David
Collen of Farmington Hills;
grandchildren, Dr. Melissa and