Roger Bloom

Roger Bloom was a man with an unquenchable thirst for life, and a man who lived every day with purpose, and passion. Roger was passionate about many things, from traveling to new places, to his beloved family and his deep faith. He was a devoted husband, loving father and grandfather, and a loyal friend to many. Today his passion for life lives on in those who knew him.

Roger's story began on a snowy December day in 1915, just before Christmastime, in the town of Sparta, Michigan. Those were exciting times in this country, as the automobile and the airplane were beginning to change our society, in the calm before the storm of World War I. On December 20, 1915, Henry and Emma Bloom had more to celebrate than the coming holiday, however. That day they were given an early present, a little bundle of joy they named Roger.

Roger was the youngest of eight Bloom children, joining Olivia, Adolph, Mark, Ellen, Olga, Margaret and Henry in the family home, located on a small farm on Grange Ave. Part of the family took care of the farm, raising the crops, pigs, chickens and cows, while Roger's father worked outside the home as a painter. Needless to say, everyone had their fair share to do around the farm, including the baby of the family.

Roger attended Chalmers School and eventually graduated from Sparta High School in 1933, during the teeth of the Great Depression. Following high school, he set out to find his fortune, and found so much more, as well. He took a job at the Keeler Brass Company in Grand Rapids, where he met a beautiful young coworker named Alyce Spoelstra. One day he summoned the nerve to ask her on a date, and she accepted. The two began dating, soon fell in love, and were married in 1938 at her parents' home, and took their honeymoon in Chicago.

The newlyweds moved into an apartment on Sweet Street NE in Grand Rapids, and Roger found work as a traveling cigar salesman to provide for his new bride, and soon enough, his growing family. Roger and Alyce were blessed with two fine sons, Bradley, born May 16, 1944, and Thomas, born April 1, 1949. As the family grew, they moved into a home on Rogers Street in Grand Rapids, where they lived for over a decade as the boys got older. In 1957, they moved to Jones Street, and lived there until the 1980s.

Roger provided for his family by working hard at a variety of jobs over the years. He worked as a delivery man for Jurries Furniture Company for a few years, before taking a job as a driver for the Standard Oil Company, delivering fuel oil and heating oil all over Grand Rapids. He retired from Standard Oil in 1970, at the age of 55.

Roger was an excellent father, and he and Alyce were always enormously supportive of their sons' activities. They also did many things together as a family, and vacationed every year at his sister and brother-in-law's cottage at Torch Lake, forming so many special memories on that brilliantly blue water. They also visited many parks beaches for picnics, a family tradition for them. They were all faithful members of the LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church, where Roger was a deacon, church treasurer and volunteer counter.

Roger had many other interests and activities, as well. He was a passionate sports fan, and faithfully followed the Tigers and Lions, as well as the Michigan State aand University of Michigan football team. He and Alyce attended many MSU games with friends over the years.

Of course, he and Alyce did almost everything together. They had a special marriage, and loved most of all to be near each other. They traveled often, just the two of them, visiting California, Oregon, Washington State, and Florida, where they rented a condo in Panama City for many winters, staying December through March. They also took a trip to Europe.

Their family would sometimes visit them in Florida in the wintertime, bringing their beloved grandkids to visit. Roger didn't get to see them as often as he'd like, as they lived far away, but he was so proud of all of them, his sons and his grandchildren. Roger was enormously proud of his boys, who both went to the University of Michigan and later earned their PhDs. He was also proud of the wonderful families they raised in their own right, and enjoyed so much when they got together for the holidays.

Eventually, Roger and Alyce decided the less work the better, and moved into a condo at Villa Ridge on East Paris. They were in good health, and enjoyed it there. However, in 2001, Roger developed dementia, and as they dealt with this challenge they decided to move to Covenant Village of the Great Lakes in Grand Rapids, and eventually into assisted living there. Roger's family was so grateful for the caring and concerned staff there over the past three years. In early October of 2006, Roger was diagnosed with acute leukemia, and the disease progressed rapidly. Sadly, Roger died peacefully in his sleep early Tuesday morning, October 24, 2006.

Roger lived a full, healthy and active live, a life full of love and passion for others. His deep abiding faith in God and the love of his family sustained him. Roger was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, brother and a friend to all who knew and loved him. He will be greatly missed.

He is survived by Alyce, his wife of 68 years, and by his son, Bradley & Wendy Bloom of Ann Arbor MI, their children, Amanda of Bellingham, WA, Cassidy Bloom of Ann Arbor; son, Thomas & Betsy Bloom of Charlottesville VA, their children, Olivia and Thomas Jacob of Charlottesville, VA, Molly Bloom of Washington, DC. Preceding him in death was a grandson, Benjamin; 4 sisters and 3 brothers, Olive, Adolph, Mark, Ellen, Olga, Margaret, and Henry. Many nieces, nephews and friends. Relatives and friends may meet his family at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home - Van't Hof Chapel, 851 Leonard St. NW on Thursday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, October 27, at LaGrave Ave. Christian Reformed Church, 107 LaGrave Ave. NE. A reception will follow in the church parlor. Donations may be made in his memory to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. To read more about Roger's life, to leave your own memory of him and to sign his guest book, visit his web page at www.lifestorynet.com.