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