Ralph Martin Bloom, 72, passed away May 5, 2021 in Springfield, Ore. The eldest son of Fred Travis Bloom and Helen Lee Kiser, he was born on April 25, 1949 in Phoenix, Ariz. There, he spent his happy childhood enjoying raising pigeons, family camping trips, playing baseball, being a Cub Scout, riding his tote goat and hunting doves with his favorite .22 rifle.
Ralph was born into a racing family. He helped his dad and uncle at the circle track, but his favorite was the drag strip. He spent his days soaking up every bit of information he could on how motors work, taking them apart and making them go faster. he owned his own dragster, which he raced at all of the big tracks in southern California. He developed a lifelong love of the sport. His need for speed introduced Ralph to the world of Corvettes and he became president of the Cascade Corvette Club. Through the years he also belonged to UFRA United Flathead Racers Assoc., the Elks, Emerald Roadrunners 4×4 club and Neighborhood Watch.
At 16, Ralph’s parents moved the family to Oregon. Wanting some excitement, he decided to drive himself, his best friend Bob and two buddies to Alaska. It was an adventure which he talked about his whole life.
Upon his return he married the love of his life, Deborah Lahr. Their union created son Anthony and daughter April. Ralph was very involved in their lives and enjoyed coaching them in sports, teaching them about race cars, hunting, fishing, gardening and generally watching them grow into the fine young adults he was so proud of.
Ralph worked in construction for many years and was proud to say he helped build Space Mountain in Disneyland. He excelled at his welding skills and owned a mobile welding business. After sustaining a back injury, he was forced to find a new profession, so he enrolled in college and learned CAD. He loved drafting, making blueprints, and designing new products. He formed Morningstar Industries when he created and sold The Woodpicker firewood tool. With Ralph’s impeccable work ethic, he quickly progressed to General Manager in the field of steel fabrication, where he retired after 30 years.
Ralph continued to use his knowledge & drafting skills to the benefit of many friends & family, always more than happy to help where he could. He also loved mentoring and sharing his knowledge about all things mechanical.
After a divorce, Ralph found new love and married Marveen Todd. They enjoyed their ’Vettes, sightseeing and traveling with their RV, meeting many new friends along the way.
He enjoyed riding his motorcycles, creating new projects in his wood shop, spending time with his family, having a good margarita, collecting a slew of inappropriate T-shirts and being the crew chief for Bloom Family Racing.
Ralph was proud of his family and worked to keep traditions alive. He will be remembered as a kind, loving, responsible and generous family man.
Ralph was preceded in death by his parents and his second wife. He is survived by his son Tony Bloom (Juli) of Eugene, daughter April Bloom of Eugene, sisters Shirley Kirkpatrick of Coburg and Sheryl Bloom of Marcola, brothers Robert Bloom (Teresa) of Coburg and Raymond Bloom (Stacy) of Creswell, numerous nieces and nephews, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. No services will be held at his request. Since Ralph believed strongly in supporting our Veterans, the family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to: VFW post #3965, 5344 Main St., Springfield, OR 97478
Funeral arrangements in the care of Major Family Funeral Home in Springfield. Please visit the online memorial to sign the guestbook, share a favorite memory, or upload a photo(s) at majorfamilyfuneralhome.com.
