Galen F. Bloom, 86, of Grampian died on Thursday at his residence.
Born on April 8, 1924 in Bloom Township, he was the son of the late Wilbur H. and Emma Sara (Thomas) Bloom. He was a member of the Greenville Church of the Brethren, where he was a life-time deacon, moderator and song leader for over 40 years. He served as trustee of the Greenville Cemetery.
In 1986, he retired as a school teacher from the Curwensville Area School District after 31 years. Prior to his tenure there, he taught in both the Altoona and Sandy Township areas for three years each.
Mr. Bloom was a 1941 graduate of the Curwensville Area High School. He graduated from the Clarion State College with a bachelor’s degree in education in 1949. He later completed his master’s degree in education administration at the Pennsylvania State University in 1952.
He was a life-time member to the National Education Association, the Pennsylvania State Education Association and the Clearfield County chapter of the Pennsylvania State Education Association.
In addition, he belonged to the Clearfield American Legion John Lewis Shade
Post #6 and the F. Michael Sicks Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #1785, also of Clearfield.
Mr. Bloom served in the United States Army during World War II in the First Armored Division in North Africa and Italy.
He is survived by his wife, Helen (Wise) Bloom, whom he wed Aug. 24, 1952 in Curwensville; five children, Glenna Bloom of Curwensville; Kevin W. Bloom and his wife, Rebecca of Curwensville’ Florence Whitaker of DuBois; Nora Gerg and her husband, Jason of DuBois; and Sherman M. Bloom and his wife, Leslie of Grampian.
He is also survived by 13 grandchildren, Cory, Jeremy, Kyle, Jason, Curt, Marc, Brett and Meg Bloom; Sarah and Isaac Whitaker; and Cole, Luke and Chad Gerg; and two sisters, Lorna Fern Feveryear of Bel Air, MD and Betty Thompson and her husband, Frank of Jersey Shore; one brother-in-law, Burton Norris of Curwensville; and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Phyllis Vargo and Shirley Norris; one brother, Glenn Bloom and one son, Alan Morris Bloom.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Greenville Church of the Brethren on with the Rev. Dale Rummel and the Rev. David Baker officiating. Interment will follow in the Greenville Cemetery.
Military honors will be accorded at the church by the members of the Clearfield American Legion and VFW Posts Honor Guard.
Friends will be received from 2 – 4 p.m. and 6 – 8 p.m. Monday at the Kevin A. Beardsley Funeral Home, Curwensville, and from 10 a.m. until the hour of services Tuesday at the church.
The family suggests that memorial contributions be made to Greenville Church of the Brethren Scholarship Fund, or the Greenville Cemetery Fund, both in c/o Bonnie Dickey, 1474 Greenville Pike, Grampian.
To sign the on-line guestbook go to www.beardsleyfuneralhome.com.