The Northern Colorado commercial real estate community recently lost a good friend
and talented practitioner. Bernie Blach succumbed to ALS, also referred to as Lou
Gehrig's Disease, after battling the illness for approximately eighteen months. Bernie
had a long tenure in the real estate business, from working in farm and ranch brokerage
in the eastern Colorado town of Yuma, to being a co-owner of Realtec's Greeley office.
For those who had the pleasure of knowing Bernie or doing a real estate transaction
with him, his incredible work ethic and attention to detail were truly legendary. It was
this unwavering commitment to the business that enabled his great success and served
as an inspiration to his co-workers. Bernie was an imaginative problem-solver, never
hesitating to tackle a seemingly insurmountable problem or complex transaction.
Through competence, persistence, and tenacity, he was able to amass a long list of
prominent clients, including Swift and Company and The Western Sugar Cooperative,
to name just two.
Bernie Blach came from a large family, having eight brothers and sisters. Being raised with so many siblings required cooperation and a willingness to share; participation was a requirement of farm life, where chores and tasks requiring hard physical labor were ubiquitous. It was this heritage which undoubtedly accounted for his willingness to work long hours without complaining. Despite his obsession with work, Bernie embraced fun activities as well; his real passion was flying his Bellanca Viking airplane. Bernie used the airplane often in his real estate ventures, taking listings in remote areas just for the opportunity to fly. It was not unusual to see a Realtec sign with Bernie's name on it in Rocky Ford, or Wiggins, or some other remote location, particularly if the community had an airport. A couple of years ago, Bernie expanded his flying skills by gaining his helicopter pilot rating, and was a co-owner with one of his clients of a Bell Jet-Ranger.
Although most of us have known Bernie as a commercial Realtor, he's been involved in many other businesses. In the 1970's, he started Yuma Manufacturing, an agricultural sprinkler manufacturing business, which enjoyed many years of success. Subsequently, he started Rocky Mountain Popcorn, manufacturing and distributing popcorn to retail outlets and entertainment venues; concurrently, he became a partner in Omni, Inc., a residential and farm and ranch real estate firm which served eastern Colorado. As a complement to his brokerage activity, he developed a custom-home single-family residential subdivision in Yuma. Bernie met the definition of being an "entrepreneur".
Bernie's father, Perry Blach, was a graduate and long-time supporter of Colorado State University. Following in the tradition of his father, Bernie was the first of many of the next generation of the Blach family to graduate from the Fort Collins institution. A quiet and confident leader, his resume included being an officer in Farmhouse Fraternity and serving on many other leadership councils during his tenure at CSU. Many hours were also spent at the Tri-Delta house, where Bernie pursued the love of his life, his high-school sweetheart Cindy Hemphill, who would eventually become his wife. From this marriage came two children, Briar and Brevin. Bringing great pleasure to
him during his illness, Bernie became a proud grandparent this year, with two new grandchildren continuing the Blach legacy.
A memorial fund is being established to honor Bernie and his lifelong tradition of excellence. If you wish to contribute, please make your donations to the "Bernie Blach Memorial Fund" c/o Realtec, 255 E. Monroe Drive, Suite 4, Fort Collins, CO 80525. Proceeds will go to supporting the Blach Catholic School in South America where his uncle is currently doing mission work.
