Terry Blissett Endowment for Student Success

Terry was known for his kindness and generosity. He and Arlene, his wife of 51 years, hosted nearly every family event without hesitation and even added another room to their home to host more guests. He was always the last one to sit down at a family meal and the first one to offer assistance to family, friends, and coworkers. He had a great sense of humor, loved a good prank, and found joy in making others laugh. 

Terry’s greatest passion in life was his family. This included Arlene and three children: Tricia (Tim) Petrosky, Travis Blissett, and Becky (Patrick) Mallon. He adored and was so proud of his six grandchildren Jacob, Lizzie, and Taylor Petrosky and Kendall, Ryan, and Avery Mallon. Terry loved his niece Jenny Monteith like a third daughter.  

Terry’s other passions in life were traveling and all sports. He participated in football, track, and basketball in high school and continued this passion throughout his life. He looked forward to yearly golf trips with his friends, wife, and family

Terry was from Charlevoix originally and chose to live, work, and play here, too. He went back to college in his mid-20s to earn his bachelor’s degree in finance and economics. Terry graduated with highest honors. He served in finance roles at Freedman Artcraft (now Harbor Industries) and Medusa Cement. He encouraged and supported his children to go to college because he knew how life-changing a good education would be for them. Terry retired from St. Marys Cement (formerly Medusa) as the plant’s controller in 2014 after 36 years of dedicated service. When Terry passed away in June 2021, Arlene, with support from daughter Tricia and son-in-law Tim Petrosky, reached out to the Community Foundation. Terry was beloved throughout the community and they knew people would want to give in his honor. They acted quickly to establish the Terry Blissett Endowment for Student Success. This permanent endowment supports Charlevoix area students by removing barriers to learning, providing enrichment opportunities, and encouraging students to become successful community citizens in partnership with Charlevoix Public Schools, blending Terry’s love of Charlevoix with his belief in the community’s young people.