Donald Lawrence Bloom

Donald Lawrence Bloom passed on October 14, 2016, just 10 days shy of his 100th birthday. Born October 24, 1916 in Houlton,Wisconsin, just across the St Croix River from Stillwater, Minnesota Donald would traverse the St. Croix Crossing bridge and attend school in Stillwater through high school. He then attended Gustavus Adolphus College for two years before arriving in Arizona in 1937. Donald's brother John was a mining engineer at the Phelps Dodge mine in Jerome and secured him a job for one year as a roustabout and truck driver at the mine so he could save up money to continue college. Donald went on to attend Arizona Teachers College (ASU) in Tempe, Arizona and graduated in 1949 with a BA, Education in 1940. He was then drafted into the Army which he spent the next 4 ½ years throughout World War II. He finish up his tour as a Tech Sargent and spent 1½ years in the European theater as a chemical warfare specialist. Prompted by his brother-in-law who was in the drug store business in Prescott, Arizona Donald enrolled in the pharmacy school at the University of Southern California, where he graduated cum laud in 1950. Donald went on to be the co-owner, pharmacist and manager of the Rohrer-Bloom Drug Store in Prescott for the next 31 years. During his earlier years in Arizona, Donald enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping and backpacked the Grand Canyon, Havasupai and Rainbow Bridge with his son's Boy Scout Troop. In his retirement years, he was an avid gardener, known for his bumper crops of fresh vegetables. He was active in the Prescott community and numerous organizations including American and Arizona Pharmacist Assn., Retail Druggist Assn., Kiwanis, Elks, VFW, Boy Scouts Committeeman, Boy's Club, Yavapai Youth Center (Charter Board Member), Prescott Chamber of Commerce (President 1968-69) and attended the United Methodist Church. Donald was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Ruby Bloom and stepson Ken Waters. He is survived by his son Fred (Tempe, AZ), grandson Steve Waters (Tempe, AZ), granddaughter Chloe Eskridge (Laveen, AZ) and six great grandchildren. Richardson Funeral Home, Tempe, Arizona is compassionately serving the family.

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