Charles John “Chuck” LaBlonde was born in Wausau, Wisconsin, on 21 March 1940, the only son of Ethel and John LaBlonde. He attended John Marshall and Saint Mary Grade Schools in Wausau and later graduated from Newman Catholic High School as valedictorian of the 1958 class.
Following a year of study at the University of Wisconsin, Wausau Center, the Honorable Melvin R. Laird appointed Charles to the Class of 1963 at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland. Charles graduated from the Naval Academy with high honors and accepted a commission in the United States Air Force where he performed a variety of research and development assignments, both domestic and abroad.
During his Air Force career LaBlonde earned a Master of Science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as well as a Master of Business Administration degree from Western New England College. His work at MIT with two colleagues resulted in US Patent 3,584,005.
Charles studied the German language at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, from which he graduated with honors. In Germany he conducted research on hybrid rocket propulsion with a team of German scientists under the leadership of noted Professor-Doctor Armin Dadieu.
LaBlonde was assigned to the Department of Chemistry at the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado, from 1974 to 1978 as Instructor, Assistant Professor and Director of Introductory Chemistry. He was instrumental in organizing and teaching the first ever chemical engineering course taught at the Air Force Academy.
Charles completed his Air Force career at the Air Force Electronic Systems Division, L.G. Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, where he managed several large Air Force command and control programs.
Following his 1989 retirement from the Air Force LaBlonde joined SenCom Corporation, Bedford, Massachusetts, as executive vice president. LaBlonde functioned as a consultant to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, for the upgrade of the command post, Military Airlift Command, Scott, Air Force Base, Illinois.
He later moved to Decision Science Applications Corporation in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as manager of a highly advanced aerial surveillance program for the United States Customs Service. Charles retired from industry in 2001.
In retirement LaBlonde pursued his philatelic hobby by researching in depth the World War II postal history of Switzerland. He wrote and published eight books as well as hundreds of articles on the subject. His work is well known and highly respected worldwide. His research was rewarded by being the first American philatelist elected to membership in the exclusive Swiss Consilium Philateliae Helveticae. He was also elevated to a Fellowship in the Royal Philatelic Society London.
Charles LaBlonde is survived by his wife, Ann, the former Agnes Ferguson O’Donnell of Cambus, Scotland; his daughter, Michelle Quinlan, and granddaughter, Emma Quinlan, of Orlando, Florida; his son, Andrew LaBlonde of Grand Rapids, Michigan; and his sister, Mary Louise Gibson of Elkhorn, Wisconsin.
A Rosary will be held at 10:30 a.m., followed by a Funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m., on Thursday, October 16, 2025, at St. Peter Catholic Church in Monument, Colorado. Burial will take place at 2:00 p.m. at Pikes Peak National Cemetery.