Melvin H. Blitz

Melvin H. Blitz, beloved husband of Sandy, father of Jeff and Amy, and uncle and friend to so many, died peacefully Monday, January 29. Born in Springfield on May 24, 1930, he was endlessly curious, read widely and remembered everything.

When once asked how it was that he knew everything, he replied simply, with his characteristic dry humor, “Doesn’t everybody?” He was the first in his family to go to college, a graduate of Union College where he became an electrical engineer. He then served in the Army where he was stationed in Philadelphia and there met his wife Sandy.

With the benefit of the GI Bill, he then obtained an MBA from the Sloan School at MIT where he and Sandy formed lifelong friendships. After that, he began a career-long fascination with all things related to computers. He started at Sylvania’s Applied Research Labs. He then co-founded Corporate Tech Planning, a consulting firm focused on helping diverse organizations computerize their operations. Among these was the New York Stock Exchange. An innovator and inventor, he held several patents. He was also ahead of his time when it came to fun, discovering a passion for cycling and cross-country skiing long before these were popular, creating many happy adventures with his family.

He and Sandy shared a long happy life together, first in Framingham then in Bedford, MA where they also made lifelong friends. They traveled often, all around the US, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and also loved peaceful quiet nights at home holding hands, laughing, and just enjoying each other’s company.

In his later years, he discovered a love for the Red Sox, and enjoyed countless hours watching the games, sometimes while Sandy listened to the opera in a separate room, just as his father Abraham and brother Robert had done so many years earlier in the furrier company Abraham founded.

He is predeceased by his parents Abraham and Anna Blitz, and by his beloved siblings Robert Blitz, Harriet Chaiken, Miriam Genden, and Richard Blitz.

In lieu of flowers, consider donating to the charity of your choice, or perhaps just take a moment to make someone happy as our beloved Mel would have wanted.