Robert Joseph Blum was born on Saint Patrick's day, March 17, 1930 and died on August 13, 2016.  When he was young he was known as Bobby Joe.  I didn't know him as Bobby Joe but I know someone who did.  
Dad was born in Dallas Texas and was very proud about being a Texan.  I don't know if anyone has been to San Antonio and been to the Alamo but if you stand in front of the Alamo and look to the right, there is a large Mall.  Between the Alamo and the mall is a street.  The name of that street is Blum Street.  Now I know there were no Blums defending the Alamo but maybe a Blum owned a T shirt shop in the past.
He was a proud man.  Not in the sense of being prideful or arrogant or boastful as many proud people are.  But in a contented, satisfied, confident manner.  
Dad was a proud former Eagle Scout.  Not many who joined the scouts became an Eagle Scout and dad was proud he did.  During World War II he asked to be the base mascot for Big Spring Army Airfield which later became Webb Air Force Base.  He was very proud when I got his bombardier wings.  I know this because he kept those wings and we have them today.
He later went to Texas A&M University and was a member of the Corps of Cadets.  He was very proud of being an Aggie, Gig em.  At that time you didn't go to A&M just because it was a great school you went to serve your country in the armed services.  It was a military academy. He graduated and proudly served in the Army in Alaska during the Korean War as you can see from some of the memorabilia around today.  
Many of our Saturday afternoon conversations went like this.  Hey what are you doing?  Not much, just watching the Aggies loose, what are you doing? Not much, just watching Georgia loose.  O well, we are playing again next week.  
Dad has 2 children, me and Karen.  I think he was proud of us too,,, most of the time.  I know we both are very proud of him.
We did a lot as a family growing up.  He had a boat and we would go skiing.  We also waterboarded, not that kind of water boarding.  Dad got a 4 by 4 piece of plywood, drilled a couple of holes in it and tied a ski rope through them.  He would drag that board all over the lake and we would have a great time in the water.  He was proud of that boat.
Dad also had a motorhome. Proud of that too.  We traveled all over New England when we lived in Connecticut.  We went to Niagara Falls, Philadelphia, Hersey PA, Gettysburg, Washington DC and all places in between.  One summer he thought we would drive from Connecticut to Alaska to visit where I was born.  That 5 week trip covered over 4,000 miles.  Let me tell you something about the ALCAN Highway.  It goes from southern British Columbia to Delta Junction Alaska and is 1,300 miles of gravel road, not really a highway.  1,300 miles of noisy, bumpy, kidney jarring misery.  When we came to a bridge we would drive verrry slowly just enjoy the quiet smooth ride for as long as we could.  Needless to say, we took the inland ferry home to avoid the highway.
When dad left the Army he worked for IBM for 35 years.  He was proud to work for IBM and never wanted another job.  Dad was proud but he was also competitive.  When he was in sales he worked hard to win every sales contest and he and mom went on a lot of Golden Circle award trips.  IBM moved mom and dad to Japan, among other places.  Dad was somewhat of a celebrity over there.  As you know, most Japanese are mostly dark haired and dark eyed and are just average height.  You can imagine how a 6 foot 3 inch, silver haired, blue eyed man literally stood out in a crowd.  He would actually have school girls come up to him and asked to have their pictures made with him.  I guess it was like getting your picture made with Ironman in Times Square.
Dad was also a quiet man. I rarely heard him raise his voice, unless he was cheering for the Aggies.  He rarely swore.  In fact the first time I heard my dad swear was when I was when I was 14 years old.  He was mad at a neighborhood boy who took something out of our garage.  He let out a string of curse words I had never heard before, much less from him.  I almost burst out laughing in surprise at those words actually coming from him.
When Karen was young she need a number of operations on her eyes.  Once in Houston, Mom and Dad and Karen were leaving Methodist Hospital after one of her procedures. The Duke of Windsor, the once King of England, happened to be entering the hospital at the same time.  They almost ran into each other.  Mom and Karen were surprised into silence and dad just said, Hello Duke.  Few words but always profound.
Dad was Mason and Shriner almost all of his adult life.  I don't know much about that part of his life, but I know someone who does.
I guess what Dad was most proud about was his marriage to Peggy, our mom.  They met when dad was still at A&M got married before he graduated and were married for 64 years.  No matter where we lived, and we lived in a lot of places, no matter what was going on, they were together and they were always loving each other.  Everyone who knows them knows they are married and in love.  We were having a pretty rough night at the hospital last week.  He was drifting in and out of sleep when all of a sudden his hand shot straight up in the air and he almost shouted, I LOVE MY WIFE.  We all knew but he never was shy about shouting it out.  
Dad had a lot to be proud of.  His service to country and shrine.  His successful career.  His devotion to family.  But I think we are more proud of who he was more than his accomplishments.  I can only hope to meet the high bar he set.
Robert Joseph Blum, Dad, was born on St Patrick's Day, March 17, 1930 and died on Saturday August 13, 2016.  He is very much loved and he WILL be missed.

Dear Dad, you have been away from us for a month now, yet it feels like a lifetime.. It has been - yours.  I miss you so much.

Mr.  Bob Blum was a Leader Member who I met in the IBM PC Club in the 1990's.  I enjoyed knowing Mr. Blum and admired all his work to help children. 
My sincere condolences to  Mr. Blum's Family.  

Ms.  WJ  Shiflett

For me to tell you that Bob Blum was a wonderful husband, great father, man of humor, excellent salesman, great friend and all around good person would be a waste because you already know that or you wouldn't be here today.  So today I want to share with you some of many warm memoirs I have of growing up with Bobby Joe.  Bobby Joe was what how he was known within our family.  Although he was my first cousin, he actually was my only brother! My father was killed before my birth, so Bob's parents took my mother and me under their wing after I was born.  They moved us to the little town of Big Spring, Texas, helping my mother obtain a job with Cosden Oil Company.   We began living with in the Blum home with Bob and Lynette.  Lynette being my primary baby sitter and Bob was my male playmate.  At one point as I began to talk, Bob's father realized I was beginning to call him daddy.  At that point it decided mother and I should get our own place.  We continued to live in Big Spring and I was still Bob's little brother until he when off to college at College Station.  

One of the first memoirs I have of Bob was when he left for that two week trip to Canada which many of you read about as he wrote his memoirs.  I believe that was a Boy Scout Jamboree.   I remember it well because I was with him on that trip in spirt.  Bob took a rod, reel and tackle box I had received for Christmas with him.  In order to insure they were not lost, he had his name and address stenciled on the top of the tackle box.  From then on, when I went fishing everyone called me Bobby Joe.  All those fish he said he caught, I helped him catch with my rod and reel.

I remember how proud Bob was of his Eagle Scout award.  He was not the only one as the whole town of Big Spring shared his pride.  There were articles in the local paper and Bob really became an important person in town.

When Bob went off to college I was pretty much on my own, but him having gone to Texas A & M made me really want to be an Aggie!  When it came time for me to go to college, mother could not afford to send me to A & M, so I went to Texas Tech.   We almost always had a bet when the Aggies played the Red Raiders.  Most of the time, I lost the bets and had to pay.

Bob and Peggy were married 64 years and proved the old adage from the company he work for, IBM, which stood for I've been moved!  They moved 22 times during his career.  My mother and I visit almost all of the places they lived.  In fact when we visited them in New Mexico it was the first time I ever got out of the state of Texas.

Our family was very close and we almost all got together for Christmas Day, usually at Aunt Margie's.  Usually Bob's parents would close the store in Big Spring about 8 o'clock on Christmas Eve then drive to Denton, Texas arriving early in the morning on Christmas Day.  Because they got there so late they had to sleep on the floor with the kids, but it was great because we were all together.  After Bob left for college, he continued to come to Denton.  It was then he started doing something I thought was so neat, he always made sure the all the women had corsages to wear on Christmas Day.

I will never forget the Thanksgiving of 1970 when I took my soon to be bride, Sundee, from Chicago back to Texas  meet my family and buy our wedding rings from Blum's Jewelry.  As about 12 or so of the family sat around the Thanksgiving feast, Sundee was so proud showing off her new ring that she was easy picking for Bob.   He would direct her vision off to someone on the other side of the table while he eats the food off her plate.  The expression on her face when she realized what Bob was doing, would still win a prize any photo contest.

Bob and I were Rube Goldberg engineers.  I remember one Christmas when Bob and I assembled a surrey with the fringe (a self-propelled wagon with fringe hanging off the top) on the top for Steve and Karen.  After the kids had gone to bed on Christmas Eve, fueled by several alcoholic beverages, we began the project.  Many drinks and just before dawn, we completed enough of the surrey to put before the Christmas tree.  After the kids had opened all their gifts  when we attempted to move the surrey outside, we realized it was too big to get out the door.  Needless to say, not a well-planned project! 
Bob and Peggy have been a big part of my family's life.  Since both Sundee and I are only children, our kids have no aunts and uncles.  Thus Bob and Peg have become their aunt and uncle, only our kids refer to them as aunt Bob and uncle Peg.  Peggy has baked the wedding cake for my three daughters as  well.

Bob was a willing listener always ready to discuss any problem I might have had.  He offered advice only when asked and was a great model to look up to both literally and figuratively at his 6 foot 3 inch height.  

There never was anyone prouder to be a Texan than Bob.  .  He also was a died in the wool Texas A & M Aggie.  He loved it when the Aggie scored a touchdown as he always kissed Peggy as is the Aggie custom.  He was always glad to give anyone with an Aggie sticker on their car a big Gig-em Aggie sign. 

Yes, Bobby Joe was one of a kind and I will truly miss him!

Your Cousin (A.J.) August Luedecke

It has been my honor to know Noble Brother Bob Blum for over 45 years.

At the age of 15 I began to date his beautiful daughter Karen. He was always very kind with a smile for me which I was always very suspicious about as I WAS dating his prized daughter.
 
Karen and I went our separate ways for many years after High School but found each other once again just 8 years ago rekindled our relationship.

Once Again, I had the opportunity to get to know Bob Blum who still had that winning smile. 

Through our Masonic relationship Bob and I became Brothers.
 
Had Noble Brother Bob survived until December he would have been a Mason for 65 years... and was a Shriner for well over 50 years.

At the Shrine Circus or any other Shrine function he was like a child at Christmas. He dearly loved going to the Masonic Childrens Home. For Several Years he attended Hickory Flat Lodges day with the kids in December at the Masonic Childrens home and you could literally feel the smiling love coming off of this mans giving heart. 

During Parade Season with the Arab Guard at Yaarab Shrine he was very active and could be found marching or riding in Parade waving his Scimitar and smiling all the while.

Bob loved working for the Shrine whether it being on the roadside with a collection bucket or peddling ads for the Circus Book. Folks loved to see that old man out there with a bucket working for the kids. He would out do my collections everytime we worked the road together.

In 2013 Bob collected in excess of $5000.00 and was awarded a Gold Executive Aides Fez. He was 83 at the time. Potentate at that time Illustrious Sir Chuck Pittman Awarded Bob his Gold Fez in front of a packed house at the Circus Appreciation Dinner. Bob glowed with pride that evening. Everyone at the Shrine Temple was congratulating him and shaking his hand.

Bob Loved the Mission. He loved that we care for kids. Kids who cannot help themselves either in the Masonic Home or one of our 22 Childrens Specialty Hospitals.

Bob Blum was one who never spoke ill of another man. Rather he would be the role model we should all aspire to be more like. Bob always lead by example. The Man was golden in every way and very well thought of everywhere he made his presence.

It was my greatest honor last year to have him by my side as Secretary of Hickory Flat Lodge while I sat in the Chair of the Master of the Lodge. We always rode together to the Lodge and shared good conversation. Bob was more than a father figure to me, Bob was one of my best friends. Whenever I was upset he was there with wise and kind words. I thank the Good Lord for the time I had with him and for being a part of his family.

Bob's love and devotion to his sweet Peggy and his Children Steve and Karen never waivered.

His family was first and foremost in his life. Bob was probably never happier than when he had his little tribe under his own roof. He did everything in his power to teach his children to be self reliant and good people as he was himself. He was a proud father.

Bob was a man who very much loved life. He was a Veteran and Patriot. He was a man who showed his emotions. Of all the things we know about Bob we know that he is among good company and with our Infinite Creator. We will have a void in our hearts with his loss but remember to have joy as well. We will meet that long lanky Texan once again when the Good Lord brings us all together again. 

Dennis K. Davidson 
Cumming, GA

I will always remember great times with Uncle Bob at the log cabin in Woodstock.  He was a great man and did so much for so many in his years on this earth.  Please know I am weeping with you during this time, however, rejoicing he is in heaven with his savior, Romans 12:15.  I will miss him dearly.  I love you! hugs....

There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love. - Washington Irving

This man was the definition of a Shriner.  Always willing to help someone else!  He will be surely missed by family and friends alike.  RIP Bob, you have made us all proud to even know you.

I first met Bob at KMA and remember his warm and welcoming smile and sense of humor. I am so sorry to hear of his passing.  My sincere sympathies to his family and friends.

Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.

Bob and Peggy were our neighbors during our IBM assignments in Atlanta. We have many fond memories of those times in our careers. It was our first taste of life in the "good old South" and the Blum's will always be part of a fun era in our lives. Our sympathies to the family, rest in peace our friend!   John & Sally Moeller, Alamo, CA.

Bob was a wonderful member of the KMA gang - mostly retired IBMers who still had the "itch to sell" - his sense of humor was as dry as could be and I always loved when, in the heat of summer, he would wear his maderas shorts to work - drove management nuts! I will miss him. Bob Calabrese (Cumming, GA)

Bob was a real asset to our community here at the Orchards. He will be missed. My sympathy to his family.

Bob -- Rest in peace -- from an old friend at IBM and the IBM PC group.

I knew Bob primarily through the IBM Employees PC User group which he served as President for several years.  I had only heard from him via E-mail occasionally over the last ten years or so.  I'm very sorry to hear of his passing, and I send sincere condolences to his family.

This was at the Shrine Circus this year.  Bob always loved coming out to the circus, selling the hot dogs and cotton candy, working along side his fellow Nobles of the Arab Guard.  This was Bob's unit at the Yaarab Shrine Center.  Bob is pictured here wearing his priced Red Vest, full of his pins he has collected over the years.  What a fine man.  God Bless

I've known Bob for well over 40 years now and he will be missed by all who knew him for any length of time. Working for and with Bob at IBM for many years was always a pleasure. Jackie and I will pray for the entire Blum family and know you have so many great memories of Bob, as do we. 

Gene & Jackie Alderman.

Steve and family,
We are so very sorry for your loss.  You are in our thoughts and prayers. May God's peace and blessings cover you now and always.

Bob, I will always remember working with you for IBM after our retirement, in Sales training at Glenridge and Hillside/Lakeside in Atlanta.  We had a lot of fun and your great sense of humor made working with these young IBM'ers a real pleasure. You will be missed!

I sent many enjoyable hours at IBM working with Bob.  He was always calm, thoughtful and  pleasant when working on and solving problems.  But best of all he was a friend to all.  Gary Wolfe

Steve and Family, 
I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your father, husband, grandfather, and loved one.  You have been on my mind and in my prayers the last week as you said goodbye to him.  My dad is a Master Mason and Shriner and I understand the importance of that organization and can imagine what it meant to Mr. Blum.  My grandfather was a Master Mason as well and I remember having the Masonic funeral and how beautiful it was.  May God give you peace at this time.

To the best daddy in the world. To the movies on Saturday night you took me too (Love Story, Oliver, Yellow Submarine), to tea parties under the trees with my cats, to holding my new born puppies with tears in you eyes and wiping my eyes and holding me when I had to let them go. To bringing me collector spoons from every out of town trip so I knew I wasn't forgotten (have over 600 now).  To wiping my tears when someone hurt my feelings. To so many road trips I can't remember- singing, counting cars, honking horns, taking pictures with my fake camera of passer byes. He never  laughed at me but with me. To the way you loved  my mom and showed me the real way a man treats a Lady. Everyone said "what a sweet man". They have no idea. I'll never be the same again, but then I don't want to be. I love you dad. To the day I see that smiling face again

The Good Lord has called home the greatest man that it has ever been my honor to know. Robert J. Blum, my wife Karen's Daddy has laid down his working tools for the last time and is now with our Infinite Creator. It will be a very long time before we are over the loss of this gentle man. He was kind to all and dearly loved his family as he was so loved. Noble Brother Bob Blum's passing has left a void in our hearts that will only be filled when The Good Lord brings us all together again. God Bless.

All of you will be in everyone's thoughts and prayers. 
WM David Jameson 
Caledonia Masonic Lodge #121
Cedartown, Georgia 

Tom Oliver 
President 
Cedar Valley Shrine Club 
Cedartown, Georgia.

You are greatly loved and will be missed by so many.  Thank you for all the lives you enriched--especially the lives of your family.  Our hearts are broken that you've gone, yet, we truly rejoice knowing we will see you again in Heaven.  Thank you for being a wonderful uncle, father, husband, brother and friend.  I love you, Uncle Bob--until we meet again...

AVIS DE DÉCÈS

Mr. Robert Bob Joseph Blum

17 mars 1930 – 13 août 2016

Roswell Funeral Home

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