Richard Allen Bleck earned his own set of wings when he passed peacefully from this Earth on 3 June 2020. Rick spent 31 years as an Air Traffic Controller Supervisor in Richmond, Dulles, Leesburg, and D.C. The oldest son of Richard Paul and Mary Jane Bleck, Rick grew up in Waukegan, IL and was an excellent student. He received straight As at Our Lady of Humility (OLH) then high honors at Carmel H.S. The family moved to VA his senior year where he graduated from Annandale H.S., but he longed to return to the Midwest and did so the following year to attend Marquette University. A year later, Rick moved back to VA where he attended the College of William and Mary and graduated from George Mason University. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed camping, fishing, and traveling. He had a passion for attending concerts, as well as had a passion for his family.

Rick got lucky in 1985 when he met and married Christina Porto who remains his best friend. They had two lovely children Jennifer and Joseph. Jennifer was his rock, she stood by his side through 9 difficult years of fighting cancer. Rick put up a great fight, choosing John Hopkins for his treatment which required driving to Baltimore from his home in Cross Junction and receiving hours and hours of chemotherapy. He was surrounded by those who loved him when he breathed his last breath.

Rick will be missed by all who knew him. His greatest gift was his sense of humor – he was funny and could make you laugh and smile despite your best efforts to resist. Rick's unique brand of humor was his secret weapon. If he decided to make you laugh, your resistance was futile. He'd win every time. God bless him!

During these difficult times, if you desire to express your condolences, in lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of Richard Bleck may be directed to support Dr. Carol Ann Huff's multiple myeloma research at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. Please make checks payable to Johns Hopkins University. Gifts may be mailed with a memo indicating that this gift is "in memory of Richard Bleck, to Dr. Carol Ann Huff's myeloma research" to the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, PO Box 17029 Baltimore, MD 21297-1029 or make a gift online . https://secure.jhu. edu/form/kimmel