Frank A. “Skip” Blazek

Frank A. “Skip” Blazek was born in Omaha, NE, on July 22, 1939, and passed away on August 22, 2023.

Skip attended rural District 66 Underwood Grade School and graduated from Westside High School in 1957. During high school he had a thriving business raising tropical fish and selling them to local pet stores. He attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and Omaha University (now University Nebraska Omaha.) After college, be joined the Air Force Reserves and served as a Fireman. Working alongside his father, Frank E. Blazek, Skip managed the family hotel properties: the New Tower Hotel Courts, Omaha Ramada Inn Airport, Omaha Airport Inn and the Holiday Lodge in Fremont, NE.  He was a 40-year member and past President of the Omaha Hotel Association (now Metropolitan Hospitality Association) as well as the Nebraska Lodging Association.

He had Mayoral appointments to Metropolitan Transit Authority Advisory Board, the Omaha Personnel Board, and the 1990 Feasibility Study for the New Convention Center.

He was President of the Board of the Paul and Oscar Giger Foundation for 25 years.

He was active for many years with the Ak-Sar-Ben Membership Drive and the Omaha Chamber of Commerce. He was an appointed member to the Douglas County’s Visitors Promotion Council.

Over the years he was active in Rotary Club, Lions Club, Toastmasters International, Optimists and Skal Omaha.

Skip loved his years of boating on the Missouri River and later on Woodcliff Lake. He had a lifetime love of fireworks and was famous for his 4th of July barbecued shish kabobs. Skip made friends wherever he went and had compassion for friends and strangers. He was fond of telling jokes and making people happy. Skip loved to take his family on yearly car trips to the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in Jackson, Wyoming.

Skip was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Olive Blazek and in-laws: Paul Ingram, Jack and Cheryl Roche. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Judy Church Blazek; daughters Elisa (Perry) Wiseman, Dr. Carrie Rath and Joanna (Tom) Fisher; grandchildren: Sam (Meghan) Rath, Grace Rath, Kaylee Fisher, Jackson Fisher, Michael Wiseman, Dan (Mari) Wiseman, and Robert Wiseman; sisters: Janet (Andrew) Acker of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and Beverly Ingram of Westlake, Ohio; many nieces and nephews.

Memorial Service: Friday, September 22nd, 2023, 11:00 a.m. at First Central Congregational Church, 421 South 36th Street, Omaha, NE 68131

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to First Central Congregational Church or the Scholarship Fund for the Institute for the Culinary Arts at Metropolitan Community College.