Noanswers
Skilled Investigator
It just seems right to take note of "one of us" when they pass on. I don't know why it was printed on December 7th.
The following is from the Hartford Currant
ROBERT H. BLETCHMAN, 76, of Farmington, died June 18
Bob Bletchman was a teacher, a lawyer, a mentor, a poet, a husband and an actor. But he was best known for his defense of the phenomenon known as unidentified flying objects, or UFOs.
He was the youngest of three sons born to Abel and Ida Bletchman of New Haven, who owned a hardware store. After graduating from Hillhouse High School, Bletchman spent a year at the University of Connecticut but dropped out for a while.
After meeting Adrienne Kugell, a student at New Haven State Teachers College (now Southern Connecticut State University), he decided to return to school and graduated from the teachers college in 1957. The couple married soon after and had no children.
Bletchman and his wife moved first to San Diego, where he taught elementary school, but he spent many off-duty hours acting with local theater groups. After four years, he returned to Connecticut and taught in Willington. He became intrigued by the law and enrolled in the University of Connecticut School of Law when he was 33.
He graduated in 1968, and after practicing for several years with Attorney Peter Zaccagnino, he opened his own office. He had a general practice in Manchester, handling house closings, divorces, property transfers, wills and other matters, sometimes waiving a fee for a client with little money. He volunteered to serve as a hearing officer in small-claims matters and worked pro bono with prisoners.
At some point early in their relationship, Adrienne Bletchman mentioned to her husband that she was interested in the question of whether there was life on other planets or in other galaxies.
"I said it was absurd not to believe there wasn't life in other universes," she said. "It's absurd to believe we are the only life that exists."
More than a decade later, Bletchman began to study the question of extraterrestrial life seriously. He read a lot, studied articles and monographs and investigated various claims until he became convinced there was such a thing as an unidentified flying object. Over the years, he gathered information and tried to convey his conclusions to countless others.
"He wanted so badly for this to be a reality in his lifetime," Adrienne Bletchman said.
Bletchman became active with MUFON, the Mutual Unidentified Flying Object Network, and served as its public relations director for about 20 years. Besides teaching an adult-education course on the UFO phenomenon, he often gave lectures and wrote articles on the subject. He also appeared frequently on radio and television to defend his belief in the existence of UFOs.
"You'd see things in the sky and not know what they were," said Adrienne Bletchman. "We saw things that were not explainable."
In the 1990s, Bletchman organized a symposium on UFOs at the United Nations in New York to a sold-out audience. "It was very well received," his wife said. "He tried to push the UFO agenda."
Bletchman's interests were far broader than just extraterrestrial life. He loved to talk politics over the dinner table, saw countless movies, especially foreign ones and those dealing with science. He was also fascinated by history. He read newspapers avidly and wrote letters to the editors of major newspapers — The New York Times and the Washington Post.
Although he had strongly held beliefs, friends say he never sought to impose them on others and was open to all opinions. An agnostic, he could discuss religion amicably with a Roman Catholic. "He just felt science was right-on and the Earth developed through evolution," said Bob Kendrick, a neighbor. "I felt there was a higher power, [but] it never interfered with our relationship." He died of cancer after being ill for several years.
Bletchman never seemed fazed that his interest in UFOs wasn't more widely shared and was able to ignore skeptics.
"He respected that you had another belief," said Sandee Sorel LeDuc, a close friend. "He would never argue the point."
"Many [people] believe in a life other than ours," said Louis Kugell, his brother-in-law.
"He didn't believe in any flags," Kugell said. "He felt the world was one community. He believed everyone was everyone else's brother. He truly was a humanitarian. He loved everybody."
The following is from the Hartford Currant
ROBERT H. BLETCHMAN, 76, of Farmington, died June 18
Bob Bletchman was a teacher, a lawyer, a mentor, a poet, a husband and an actor. But he was best known for his defense of the phenomenon known as unidentified flying objects, or UFOs.
He was the youngest of three sons born to Abel and Ida Bletchman of New Haven, who owned a hardware store. After graduating from Hillhouse High School, Bletchman spent a year at the University of Connecticut but dropped out for a while.
After meeting Adrienne Kugell, a student at New Haven State Teachers College (now Southern Connecticut State University), he decided to return to school and graduated from the teachers college in 1957. The couple married soon after and had no children.
Bletchman and his wife moved first to San Diego, where he taught elementary school, but he spent many off-duty hours acting with local theater groups. After four years, he returned to Connecticut and taught in Willington. He became intrigued by the law and enrolled in the University of Connecticut School of Law when he was 33.
He graduated in 1968, and after practicing for several years with Attorney Peter Zaccagnino, he opened his own office. He had a general practice in Manchester, handling house closings, divorces, property transfers, wills and other matters, sometimes waiving a fee for a client with little money. He volunteered to serve as a hearing officer in small-claims matters and worked pro bono with prisoners.
At some point early in their relationship, Adrienne Bletchman mentioned to her husband that she was interested in the question of whether there was life on other planets or in other galaxies.
"I said it was absurd not to believe there wasn't life in other universes," she said. "It's absurd to believe we are the only life that exists."
More than a decade later, Bletchman began to study the question of extraterrestrial life seriously. He read a lot, studied articles and monographs and investigated various claims until he became convinced there was such a thing as an unidentified flying object. Over the years, he gathered information and tried to convey his conclusions to countless others.
"He wanted so badly for this to be a reality in his lifetime," Adrienne Bletchman said.
Bletchman became active with MUFON, the Mutual Unidentified Flying Object Network, and served as its public relations director for about 20 years. Besides teaching an adult-education course on the UFO phenomenon, he often gave lectures and wrote articles on the subject. He also appeared frequently on radio and television to defend his belief in the existence of UFOs.
"You'd see things in the sky and not know what they were," said Adrienne Bletchman. "We saw things that were not explainable."
In the 1990s, Bletchman organized a symposium on UFOs at the United Nations in New York to a sold-out audience. "It was very well received," his wife said. "He tried to push the UFO agenda."
Bletchman's interests were far broader than just extraterrestrial life. He loved to talk politics over the dinner table, saw countless movies, especially foreign ones and those dealing with science. He was also fascinated by history. He read newspapers avidly and wrote letters to the editors of major newspapers — The New York Times and the Washington Post.
Although he had strongly held beliefs, friends say he never sought to impose them on others and was open to all opinions. An agnostic, he could discuss religion amicably with a Roman Catholic. "He just felt science was right-on and the Earth developed through evolution," said Bob Kendrick, a neighbor. "I felt there was a higher power, [but] it never interfered with our relationship." He died of cancer after being ill for several years.
Bletchman never seemed fazed that his interest in UFOs wasn't more widely shared and was able to ignore skeptics.
"He respected that you had another belief," said Sandee Sorel LeDuc, a close friend. "He would never argue the point."
"Many [people] believe in a life other than ours," said Louis Kugell, his brother-in-law.
"He didn't believe in any flags," Kugell said. "He felt the world was one community. He believed everyone was everyone else's brother. He truly was a humanitarian. He loved everybody."