High school sweethearts, Jason and Klara met in Danville, at Monte Vista High School, in 1995. Jason was 16 years old and Klara was 15 years old. They dated their sophomore year of high school and remained close friends throughout their time at MVHS. They even attended Senior Ball together in 1998. The local couple had their official first date right here in Blackhawk, at Blackhawk Movies 7. Klara says she always knew in her heart that there was something very special about Jason. “We went our separate ways for college and lost touch for four years until we ran into each other the night before Thanksgiving (aka college night) in downtown Danville. We exchanged phone numbers and went to lunch the very next day at our favorite high school deli, The Brass Delicatessen. We talked for four hours about everything you could imagine. Once we reconnected, sparks flew and, life felt complete, and the rest was history.”
They became very close friends over the following six months, then began dating again and fell head over heels for one another. Klara’s parents gifted her a trip to Maui with any guest of her choice as a college graduation gift. She brought Jason, and he proposed on their first night on the island. “We fell in love with Maui and decided to get married there on July 7, 2006 with 50 of our closest family and friends. It was a magical week spent with the most important people in our lives,” says Jason.
Jason was born in Mt. Kisco, New York, just north of Manhattan. He grew up in Chappaqua, NY, spending summers at Camp Moosilauke, a sleep-away camp nestled in the White Mountains of New Hampshire (not far from Dartmouth University in Hanover). Although his father’s job brought the family to Alamo, CA in 1989, he continued to fly back to the East Coast for six consecutive years to spend summers at Camp Moosilauke until he was 16. He attended Rancho Romero Elementary School, Stone Valley Middle School, and then Monte Vista High School, class of ‘98. He graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and has been a Realtor in Danville for over 16 years. “I knew in college that I was going to pursue a career in real estate. I’m from a multi-generational family of realtors. My parents, Ralph and Kathie Bleier, had very long and accomplished real estate careers in Danville. They invited me to join the team following college and groomed me to become a successful agent. I have a passion for helping people and absolutely love my career,” says Jason. He and his brother-in-law, AJ Cohen, created the Cohen Bleier Group at Coldwell Banker, Blackhawk office. They are our very own “Property Brothers.”
Klara was born in Bellflower, in Southern California. Her parents relocated to Danville in 1987. She attended Green Valley Elementary School, Los Cerros Middle School, and then Monte Vista High School, class of ‘98. She graduated from UCLA with honors with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History. Klara is an Account Executive for Old Republic Title, Danville, located in the Danville Livery. She loves what she does, and her escrow team is like a second family.
When he’s not helping his real estate clients, Jason loves skiing, playing golf, traveling, camping and spending time with family and friends. He’s also a proud member of Advance Guard for Wounded Warrior Project. He says his family has a long history with the Beth Chaim Congregation. “My parents were founding members of Beth Chaim Congregation on Sycamore Valley Rd. in Danville and were instrumental in helping build the sanctuary. My father, Ralph, was president of the congregation for several years and helped Beth Chaim with the capital campaign, which ultimately led to breaking ground and building the congregation’s permanent home in Danville.”
Winter sports are Klara’s favorite too “I love skiing in the winter, traveling, camping, cooking, going to the movies, and spending time with family and friends. Klara and her parents, Yoli and Lou Pilastro, have been parishioners of St. Isidore’s Church in Danville since 1989. Klara is a volunteer for the Blackhawk Women’s Scholarship Fund, a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase education opportunities for college-bound young women in financial need in Contra Costa County. It’s incredibly important to her to help deserving, and less fortunate young women get college educations. https://www.bwscholarshipfund. com/
She also volunteers, through Beth Chaim Congregation, for Winter Nights. It is an organization composed of a network of interfaith congregations in Contra Costa County that provides shelter for homeless/displaced families through the winter months while they await housing placement. “I’ve prepared dinner for the families as well as provided childcare. It’s important to remember how difficult it is for hardworking people living paycheck-to-paycheck to keep up with the rising cost of living in the Bay Area, and all it takes is a hardship like a job loss, caring for a sick parent, etc. to fall behind on bills/rent and find themselves without housing. It’s important that all families, especially children, feel safe and supported,” says Klara.
The couple are both big SF 49ers, Warriors and Sharks Fans. Jason is a die-hard NY Yankees fan, while Klara is an Oakland A’s fan. They love going to games with family and friends.
An 8-year-old Labrador completes the family along with lots of local relatives, “We also have five nieces and nephews who all live in Danville. We are very involved in their lives and activities from sports games, to plays, musicals, recitals and more,” says Klara.
The Bleiers moved into Blackhawk about a year ago. “We’ve always loved this beautiful community. We spent a lot of time in Blackhawk growing up with childhood friends who lived in the gates. We absolutely love our neighbors! We live on a very tight-knit street and have felt welcomed by everyone here. They’re incredibly friendly and always look out for each other. A group of 5 long-time residents on our street organize an annual block party at the end of the summer with tons of food and live music,” says Jason.
By Megan Scott, Resident since 2010
Photos provided by the Bleiers
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