Hans Joachim Bley was born on July 21, 1924, in Chemnitz, Germany, in East Germany. He was the son of Max Otto and Martha Getrud Bley, and the loving big brother of Annerosa and Ingrid.
Hans had a wonderful childhood with his family, until World War II intruded on his idyllic existence. He became a soldier in the German army at a young age and was sent to the Russian front. After the war ended, he was forced to separate from his family, to avoid being conscripted into the Russian army. He packed his belongings, said goodbye to his parents and sisters, and headed for Munich. He enrolled in a technical university there and received his master's degree in mechanical engineering. He worked for Olympic Typewriter and then Leica. It was during this time in Munich that Hans discovered his love for mountain climbing and skiing in the German Alps. Leica then transferred him to Midland, Canada. Hans loved his time in Canada as a young single man, and had many friends and great adventures. He particularly loved the mountains of Canada because they reminded him of his homeland, and spent many hours skiing, mountain climbing and exploring mineral springs.
Then, Hans and his good friend Dieter decided to make a road trip, circumnavigating the US in his Porsche. At the end of this trip, Hans decided to relocate to beautiful Los Angeles, CA. He was taken by the beauty of Southern California, the great weather, the ocean and the friendliness of the people.
After this relocation, Hans decided he wanted to improve his English language skills, so he signed up for English lessons. He also figured it was a decent way to meet some girls! And lo and behold, he did end up meeting the love of his life, Ana Guevara. They married soon after and settled in Agoura Hills, where they had a son, Leo.
Hans worked as an engineer his entire adult life, most notably as an engineer at the well-known camera lens company, Leica, where he designed some of the world's finest 35mm lenses. He also worked with one of the first supercomputers to aid in optical design.
Hans loved taking his family on annual vacation road trips across North America camping in KOAs. His favourite vacation spot in America, however, was the Hawaiian Islands which he and Ana visited often.
Hans never saw his parents again after leaving his hometown of Chemnitz, Germany as a young adult, due to the Berlin Wall being erected after the war. Later in his life, however, he made several trips back to Germany and spent time with his two sisters, Ingrid and Annerosa, and the rest of the Bley family throughout Germany.
Hans was a quiet man that could tell many humorous stories once you "put a nickel in him", as his brother-in-law would often say. He shared his love of technological innovations, cycling, hiking, and photography with his son Leo, who developed the same loves. Hans was blessed with his first grandchild earlier this year, Colin James Bley. Hans loved holding and cuddling with Colin, and he smiled for the last time just a day before he died, when Colin was placed in his lap and reached for his grandpa.
He was deeply devoted to Ana, as she was to him, and that love was evident every day of their 45 year marriage. He will never be forgotten by his family, both near and far.
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