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Charles "Charlie" Blaschke '63 August 13, 2018 3:03 PM updated: August 14, 2018 8:41 AM

Fox & James Funeral Home obituary
5310 Willow Oak Road P.O. Box 877
Eastville, VA 23347
Tel: 1-757-678-5186
Fax: 1-757-678-7772

Charles Louis Blaschke
FEBRUARY 1, 1941 ~ AUGUST 5, 2018 (AGE 77)

Charles Blaschke, age 77 of Arlington, Virginia, passed away August 5, 2018. He is survived by his wife, Kathy Hurley, and a sister, Eleanor Gracey of Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was the son of the late Raymond George and Mamie Sugarek Blaschke. Raised in south Texas, Charles attended Texas A&M University, where he received a degree in political science. After graduating, he attended the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where he received his Master’s Degree.

Charles began his career in Washington, D.C. working in the Johnson Administration and advising on education policy before the creation of the U.S. Department of Education by President Carter in 1979. During his time in the Johnson Administration, he was assigned to work with the Office of Economic Opportunity to help draft the groundbreaking Title I legislation that changed the face of education for many students, schools and educational publishers. Charles was a member of the first class of White House Fellows.

In 1967, after serving in the Johnson Administration, Charles founded Education TURNKEY Systems, which provided market research, analysis, planning and funding information of educational technology to more than 1,200 local education agencies, every state education agency and over 800 state policy makers. Charles conducted research and evaluation projects for the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor, as well as for Congress.

For 50 years, Charles analyzed and reported on the ever-changing landscape of U.S. educational policy. His ability to carefully analyze and translate policy for both the public and private sector contributed to the overall growth of the educational technology industry.

His numerous long-term clients (many of whom he worked with for over 30 years) attest to the value his services provided over the years. Charles was an icon of the education technology industry as he provided the industry with an invaluable and unique service, observing the inside workings of Washington, while analyzing the implications of federal and state-level legislation that affected the industry and the students and educators they served.

Charles’ involvement in education policy circles in Washington, D.C. and beyond was prodigious. In recognition of his industry-wide work, the Software & Information Industry Association awarded Charles their prestigious Ed Tech Impact Award in 2012.

Perhaps Charles’ most meaningful and sentimental project, was working with his beloved Texas A&M University to organize his research at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library to be studied and used in education policy classes.

While Charles’ work was based in Washington, D.C., he was an avid fisherman and hunter who loved spending time at his summer house in Machipongo on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

He will be deeply missed by friends, family and colleagues.

Funeral services will be announced at a later date. Online condolences may be sent to www.foxandjamesfh.com Arrangements by Fox and James Funeral Home, Eastville, VA.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Memory of Charles Blaschke may be sent to:

Texas A&M Foundation
401 George Bush Drive
College Station, TX 77840

St. Charles Catholic Church
545 Randolph Avenue
Cape Charles, VA 23310


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