Harold Blitt’s family called him “a real Jewish cowboy,” and he fit the description.
Blitt, who died Nov. 23 at his Denver home at age 86, ran a cattle-feeding company here for years, loved to ride horses and was a regular at the Prime Rib Club.
Blitt’s company, the DM&H Cattle Co., sometimes had as many as 30,000 head of cattle on its site near Commerce City, said his daughter Marcella Wolf of Denver.
Blitt, a native of Dateen, Poland, came to this country in 1939 “to better himself,” Wolf said. He took the train straight to Denver because he had relatives here.
His parents and two sisters and their families stayed in Poland and all died in the Holocaust.
Three brothers moved to Canada after the war and later were able to contact Blitt, said Blitt’s daughter Darlene Schwartz of Houston.
Blitt was “terrified” when he came here by himself, Wolf said, and worried that he might never see his family again.
But he never lost his penchant for taking chances. He took up water skiing at 30, snow skiing at 50, parasailed when he was in his 70s, rode dog sleds and went on a cattle drive when he was 80, Wolf said.
Family and friends said he was generous to a fault and honored by many charities he gave to, including his own synagogue, BMH/BJ Synagogue.
Once an employee was speeding to work, afraid she would be late. She got a speeding ticket. Blitt paid it.
He was a kind man, said longtime friend Patty Fair. “He always put the best spin on everything and gave everyone the benefit of the doubt.”
Blitt’s first job here was with a meat- packing plant in Denver. He later went into the cattle-feeding business with cousins who owned DM&H. Eventually, Harold Blitt owned the company and later owned a ranch in Rocky Ford and a farm near Hudson. He was past president of the Colorado Cattle Feeders Association.
Harold Blitt was born Nov. 22, 1920.
Blitt served in an intelligence unit in the Army during World War II and was fiercely proud to be an American, his family said.
He spoke little English when he arrived, so he went to the Emily Griffith Opportunity School. Later he took a Dale Carnegie course to learn public speaking.
He met Lois Opper on a blind date, and within two months, on Aug. 17, 1947, they married.
In addition to his wife and daughters, he is survived by another daughter, Melody Blitt of Denver; his brother, Howard Blitt of Calgary; eight grandchildren; and two great- grandchildren.
Staff writer Virginia Culver can be reached at vculver@denverpost.com or 303-954-1223.
