Douglas I Blom II. Ph.D and Professor Emeritus, died peacefully in the wee hours of the morning on April 13, 2025. He was 84 years old. He is survived by his wife of sixty years, Molly Lightfoot Blom. Together, they raised three children: daughter Tomi and sons Douglas III and Michael, whom among them gave Doug and Molly six grandchildren: Max, Luke, Alex, Grace, Ren, and Nicole.
In the years before his death, his goal was to bring a smile to at least four people every day. He loved his family, good jokes, water sports, being with friends, boating on the houseboat “Molly B”, art, travel, adventure, and golf.
Doug lived life large. He had two mottos. “Leave things better than you found them.” And “If you find you can’t do something, find someone who can help…right now.”
He was born and raised in Michigan, and his parents played a pivotal role in his life. Doug was an Eagle Scout (two palms), a graduate of Murray State University majoring in psychology and mathematics with a chemistry minor. He earned a Ph.D at Texas Tech in psychology with an industrial minor. His first job position after graduate school was in aerospace research at Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach, California, working on the cockpit design team for the DC-10 and on the design of aircraft weapons systems.
From there, he moved to The University of Tennessee Martin, one of the four primary campuses of the University, with 27 years of service. During that time, 3,300 students sat in his lecture hall or classroom. Most of them awake. He was a Full professor. He was the founder of UTM’s first office of Institutional Research. He also accumulated a number of Titles: Assistant Vice Chancellor for Development and Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, among others. Also, he was an instrument rated private airplane pilot for 10 years.
He was one of the four founders of the University of Tennessee System’s Institute of Leadership and served as group facilitator during that time. He also founded the Tennessee Association for Institutional Research. He was the President of Blom and Associates, a consulting firm with clients in Tennessee, Missouri, Michigan, and South Dakota.
He and his wife, Molly, started and developed Inland Publications, Inc., with its major publication being HeartLand Boating. It was a magazine, published for 10 years, focusing on boating in middle America with 75,000 readers in 27 states and two foreign countries. He and Molly loved to travel, having visited 28 countries and most of the USA states. He particularly liked very good jokes and told them often. Sometimes over and over. He also loved a very good Kentucky Bourbon.
PS “If you are a hound for punishment, he recently published “Douglas Blom, the story of my life.” It has been read by at least four people. (Addendum: Dr. Blom wrote this obituary within the last three years. Only minor editing has been done. This dear man always had a grand sense of humor. Oh, how he will be missed.)
His Memorial Service will take place on Saturday, April 19, 2025, at noon at the Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah with long-time family friend Reverend Sky McCracken officiating. Friends may arrive after 11:30 AM on Saturday, April 19, 2025, at Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah.
In lieu of flowers, you can donate to Scouting America, PO Box 152079, Irving, TX 75015-2079.
Share a memory or leave a message for the family at www.milnerandorr.com.
