MONTE VISTA — George Blake, a Pearl Harbor survivor, passed away on May 8, 2024, at Homelake Veterans Center in Monte Vista at the remarkable age of 103.

His life was intertwined with the historic events of Dec. 7, 1941, when Japan attacked the naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Blake served almost 5½ years in the Army during World War II with over 3 years of his service overseas. He was assigned to an Artillery Unit for the Harbor Defense of Pearl Harbor, T.H. 1941. He was trained as a Morse Code radio Operator and later was in charge of a Radar installation for Artillery Fire. At the end of the war, he was discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant. Following his discharge he joined the Air Force Reserves.

On that fateful Sunday morning, Dec. 7, 1941, Blake was headed to the gym to play basketball when the attack began. Initially, he thought it was a drill, but the reality soon set in as explosions echoed and planes filled the sky. Rising suns adorned the wings of the attacking aircraft.

Despite the chaos, Blake survived the Pearl Harbor attack and continued to serve in Harbor Defense at Pearl Harbor.

At 15 years of age, he met Helen, the love of his life, and except for his military service overseas during WWII they were together for the rest of their lives. After almost 70 years of marriage, Helen passed away in 2013.

Upon his discharge from the Army, Blake became employed by the Research Department of Bell Telephone Laboratories in NY. Due to the nature of his assignments and the expansion of Bell Labs, George and Helen moved several times and have lived in five states: Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and Colorado. In 1983 after 37 years with the company, he retired from the Bell Labs in Denver and moved to Salida.

Blake lived in Salida for 40 years before moving to the Colorado Veterans Community Living Center at Homelake. In January, he celebrated his 103rd birthday.

He was the only child of Florence Rosa (Sears) of London, England and George W. Blake of Plymouth, England. George Jr. was born on Jan. 29, 1921, in the Bronx, NY. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Flatbush in Brooklyn, NY. He grew up in Brooklyn attending P.S. 119 and then graduated from Textile High School in Manhattan.

Blake is survived by his three daughters, Margaret Glaser (Andrew) of Annandale, NJ, Barbara Swift of Maple Park, Ill., and Colleen Trinko (Paul) of Glen Ellyn, Ill.; five grandchildren Drew Glaser, Jeff Glaser (Jen), Amy Glaser, Kari Soprych and Megan Loebbaka (Cale) and 10 great-grandchildren Jack and Lucy, Eve (Arthur), and Indra (Andrew), Ella and Andrew, Ethan and Emma, Sawyer and Charlotte.

Funeral Service is set for 10 a.m. on Friday May 17, 2024, at Lewis and Glenn Funeral Home in Salida. Interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery.