Eric Dorian Bleich

Eric Dorian Bleich Eric “Rick” Dorian Bleich was born January 3rd 1949 in Tacoma, WA to Dorian “Fred” Fredrick Bleich and Constance “Connie” Bleich. He has one sister, Katy Pulsifer. He grew up in Tacoma and graduated from Mt. Tahoma High School in 1967. After, he attended The University of Washington with a degree in Environmental Design/Architecture. Upon graduation he worked for St. Regis then Fife Leisure Homes designing log cabins. He transferred to Fife Lumber which became Al Meier’s Building Centers, then Lumbermen’s and finally Builders First Source where he retired in January of 2018. He married his high school sweetheart, Rosemarie Salatino. They had 2 amazing children, Jennifer and Kevin before separating. Later in life, married Retta Shaw and had 3 children together, Kristin, Nicholas and Amelia. They just celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary this past July. Rick was a man of many talents, interests and passions. He was, first and foremost, a lumber man. He was not only a trained and skilled architect but he could actually build the things he designed. He was an expert in building materials, logistics, and the lumber industry as a whole. He was lifelong member of the International Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo, a fraternity and service organization devoted to the welfare and promotion of the forest product industry. He was highly respected in his professional field. With regards to his personal interests, he was passionate about music and was unabashed in displaying how much music made him feel. He instilled that passion in all of his children. He was a talented photographer, capturing the most spectacular natural landscapes and mountain scenes. He was closet travel agent, able to make the most absurdly detailed European and Tropical travel plans. When he traveled, both domestic and internationally, you could find him with his manila folder of maps and itineraries all organized on an excel spreadsheet. He was an avid reader, enjoying mostly stories about international espionage but could also go deep with non-fiction about international affairs and politics. He enjoyed sunbathing and always keeping a nice bronze on his otherwise fair skin. He loved wine and dreamed someday of being able to move to the Lake Chelan wine country to watch the grapes grow while drinking a glass of Chenin Blanc. While he had many outward interests, Rick was an even-tempered, kind man who just wanted to have a good time and go with the flow. He loved his family dearly, loved just spending time with them doing whatever. He was diagnosed with ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s Disease in the fall of 2017. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the ALS Association at www.alsa.org He is survived by his wife - Retta; three daughters, Kristin Bleich, Amelia Bleich, Jennifer Edenholm; two sons, Nick Bleich, Kevin Bleich; son-in-law, Mark Edenholm; granddaughter, Briar Edenholm; and numerous extended family members and friends. A Celebration of Rick’s life will be held on Sunday October 21st from 2-5pm at Rhein Haus in Tacoma. Light refreshments will be provided. Come by, have a beer and cheers to Rick. Arrangements by Edwards Memorial, Funerals Homes, Chapels and Crematories. 253-566-1008