Dr. Allen J. Blume

Dr. Allen J. Blume, age 75, of West Des Moines, Iowa and formerly of Fonda, Iowa died Wednesday, May 23, 2018 in Des Moines. A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, May 26, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Fonda. Burial will be in the Mt. Zion Cemetery in Fonda. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service at the church. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements. Allen Joseph Blume was born to Lloyd Joseph and Alma Doris (Whalen) Blume near Dow City on June 22nd, 1942. Allen completed his elementary education at a Crawford County country school. He graduated from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in June of 1960. Allen graduated from the Iowa Barber College in Des Moines in April 1961. He barbered in Fonda with Jack Murphy and later with Bud Hogan until August 1967 when he enrolled at NIACC in Mason City. He was united in marriage at Our Lady of Good Counsel church to Grace M. Mullen on August 31, 1963. This marriage ended in Divorce in 1992. This union produced two wonderful children, Regina Blume Cygan and Michael Allen Blume. Allen completed his undergraduate education at NIACC and Buena Vista College. He graduated from the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN in June of 1975. Following licensure Allen joined Dr. Keith W. Pierce in his optometry practice in Storm Lake. He later accepted a faculty position at the School of Optometry in the Medical Center at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. He returned to private practice in Mason City in 1979. Dr. Douglas Tassi and later Dr. Terry Huseman joined this practice. Blume on a leave of absence from practice served as the Optometric Director at the Jackson Eye Institute in Jackson, MS in 1987-88. During this time he also served as a Director and Business Development Officer for Omega Health Services. OHS was in the process of establishing medical/surgical eye clinics in cities around the country. In 1988 Allen returned to Mason City joining Drs. Daryl Fry and Michael Heston in their practice. In 1992 he purchased long-time friend Dr. Wesley Seaver’s practice in Fort Dodge. Dr. Regina Blume Cygan joined this practice in 1997. Allen married Andi L. O’Lena from Boone in 2001. She served as the Business Office Manager at Central Iowa EyeCare, P.C. until they sold the clinic to Associate Dr. Ryan Brown in 2005. Allen completed his professional career in part-time practice from 2005 – 2017 with Dr. Terry Huseman in Des Moines. Dr. Blume was honored by his colleagues many times during his career for his commitment to optometry. Allen served in many different capacities in the Iowa Optometric Association from 1975 to 1994 including serving as IOA President in 92-93. He also served on many committees within the American Optometric Association. Allen was tirelessly involved in the legislative activities of the state and national optometry political landscape. He contributed to the profession’s advancement through several different vehicles. He presented over 250 lectures at continuing education meetings in the US and Canada. He contributed to the optometric literature through journal articles and as a contributing author in several optometry textbooks. He testified before many state and several federal legislative committees in regard to pending optometric legislation. He was also involved in expert medical testimony in malpractice litigation during his career. In clinical practice Allen had a particular interest in the diagnosis and treatment of retinal diseases, glaucoma and the manufacture and fitting of aspheric gas permeable multifocal contact lenses. On the community level he served on the Storm Lake City Council and was a member of the Lions Club, Rotary International and the Knights of Columbus. At the time of his death he was a member of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Church in Des Moines. Allen treasured spending time with family, friends and optometric colleagues. He was an avid golfer with many special memories of Fonda golf including winning the Fonda Club Tournament in 1967; the Fonda Handicap League Tournament in 1971 and the Fonda Open Golf Tournament (Gary Boettcher Memorial Tournament) in 1977. He made two Aces (hole-in-one), a truck load of Eagles and a Double Eagle (albatross) - 2on a Par 5 - during his playing career. Allen enjoyed a large group of golfing buddies but none more special than Mark Kelly and Dennis Reilly. Allen was an ardent student of the golf “swing”. His Mason City/Clear Lake golf buddies jokingly referred to him as the “Technician”. Allen was also a life-long pool player from the age of six until his death. He enjoyed pocket billiards, snooker and 3-rail/carom billiards. He maintained a strong interest in mathematics throughout his life and enjoyed watching all sporting events but especially golf, the New York Yankees, Notre Dame and Alabama Football. Allen is survived by his devoted loving wife Andi; daughter Regina Cygan (Kurt Brueschke) and their children: Catherine and Jonathan Cygan (Tori Raile); son Michael (Stacey Gasperi-Clennon) and daughters; Thea Clennon and Ella Blume; step son; Daniel O’Lena (Kimberly) and son James (Ashley Garcia Aparicio) and great grandson Asher O’Lena; son Jonn (Melissa) O’Lena; step daughter; Debra Fecho and daughter Hayleigh; step daughter Dodi Petersen and daughters; Emily Clark and Ashton Petersen; sister Elizabeth Swanson and brother Ronald Blume (Pamela) and special nephews and niece – more like siblings: Dennis Blume (Federica) and David Blume (Jennifer Jaszczak) and Debora Blume (Eric Woolson). He was preceded in death by his parents Lloyd and Alma Blume and brother-in-law Darrell Swanson. He will be remembered by his uncle Melvin Whalen (Lillian) and two other living aunts (Marie and Nancy Blum); former spouse Grace M. Blume as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, colleagues and many grateful patients. Fratzke-Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of arrangements. On-line condolences are available at www.fratzkejensen.com. In lieu of flowers, Allen requests memorials may be made to North Iowa Area Community College Schmidt Family Math Scholarship fund, 500 College Drive, Mason City, IA 50401

Dr. Allen J. Blume

June 22, 1942 - May 23, 2018