Richard T. "Dick" Blee

Richard Trautman ‘Dick’ Blee, 89, of Mills River and formerly of Brevard, passed away on May 31, 2026. A native of Indianapolis, IN, he was the son of the late Paul and Delta Blee.

Dick lived in several midwestern towns growing up, finally settling in Moline, IL. He graduated from St John’s University in Collegeville, MN, and joined the Navy where he was attached to the USS Grand Canyon. Following the Navy, he began a career in Chicago and Rockford, IL selling mainframe computers for IBM, just as his father did. His career progressed to running technology departments for two banks and ultimately returned to Moline to become a bank officer at Moline National Bank. He and his wife, Sylvia, who he met at IBM, retired and moved to Sarasota, FL before migrating to Brevard in 1990, where they made the area their home.

He left a legacy of giving and charity work, serving on the boards of the YMCA, Junior Achievement, and as chairman of the Quad Cities Open PGA golf tournament, now called the John Deere Classic, whose proceeds benefited charity. A voracious reader, Dick had a deep curiosity about history, geography, and the world. He loved birding, golf, and walking. But his greatest love was family.

His loving survivors include his wife of 64 years, Sylvia Marie Blee; their son Robert ‘Bob’ Blee and wife Patricia; grandchildren Charles and Madeleine Blee, Sarah Peterson and Morgan Zavitz; great grandchildren Alexander, Elizabeth, Maggie, Ellie and Mason; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his daughter Lisa Marie Campbell

A Memorial Mass will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, June 19, 2026 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Brevard. Inurnment will follow at 2:00 PM at the Western North Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Black Mountain.

Moore-Blanchard Funerals & Cremations is honored to serve the family.