Montpelier, VT Charles A. Bloom, 90, peacefully passed away at sunset, surrounded by his loving family at Heaton Woods on June 21, 2011. He was born in Johnstown, Penn., the son of Elizabeth Holsopple Bloom and Henry Bloom in 1920. In 1945, he married the love of his life, Dorothy Jane Lewis, in his hometown. He entered the air force in 1941 and rose to the level of captain. In 1946, he received an honorable discharge after an airplane crash. After leaving the military, he and his father built the home that would eventually house his four children. He started working for Bethlehem Steel as a draftsman. While raising four children, he took night courses to become an engineer and rose to the level of chief draftsman. After a very successful career at Bethlehem Steel, Charles and Dorothy followed their grandchildren to the state of Vermont in 1983 and settled in Middlesex, Vermont, on the old Bailey Farm. With his daughter Colleen, Charles helped turn the farm's barn into Onion River Animal Hospital. He also renovated his children's Middlesex homes and designed many toys for his grandchildren. (His family claims that Charles developed one of the first skateboards in history by putting rollerskate wheels on a wooden board in the early 1950s.) Charles is survived by his wife; his daughter Charlotte Grimme and her husband of 43 years, Jon Grimme; his daughter Dr. Marilyn Hart and her partner James Powers; his son John (Jack) Bloom and his partner Raymond Leppard; his daughter Dr. Colleen Bloom; grandchildren Otis, Charles and Michael Hart and Leo Crain. There will be a memorial service at 1:00 pm on Friday July 1 at Heaton Woods. A second memorial will be held 11:00 am on August 1 at Trinity United Methodist Church with a reception to follow. A committal service and military honors will be held at the Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery following the reception. Donations are gratefully accepted in his name to Heaton Woods, 10 Heaton Street, Montpelier, VT or Trinity Methodist Church, 137 Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05602.