Dietrich P. Blumer M.D.'s Obituary
Dietrich Peter Blumer, M.D., age 88, of Memphis, TN, passed away September 29, 2017. Memorial Park Funeral Home is handling cremation arrangements and a family memorial gathering is being planned for a later date.Dr. Blumer was a psychiatrist and leading figure in the field of epilepsy as it relates to psychiatry. Among some of the distinguished universities he worked for are Johns Hopkins University, Harvard Medical School, Boston University, University of Michigan, and the University of Tennessee at Memphis where he was currently Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry.He worked at many notable hospital appointments, including a stint at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit where one of his duties was Team Psychiatrist for the Detroit Tigers during their 1984 World Series Championship season.Dr. Blumer wrote or contributed to more than three dozen books relating to psychiatry. He was a regular contributor and on the board of the leading psychiatric journals. He travelled the world extensively giving lectures, all the while maintaining a practice that allowed him to serve patients and mentor doctoral residents.He earned his medical degree from the University of Zurich Medical School and completed his psychiatric residencies at Washington University in Saint Louis and at Sheppard & Enoch Pratt Hospital in Towson, Maryland.In addition to his medical career, Dr. Blumer also served eight years in the Swiss army from 1948-1956.Among his many passions and interests were the study of art – especially Van Gogh – vacationing on the beach, tennis, anything Swiss, and listening to classical music, loud.Dietrich Peter Blumer was born July 20, 1929 to Dietrich and Gertrud (Gränicher) Blumer in Lucerne, Switzerland. He became a naturalized United States citizen in 1962. He is survived by his wife of thirty years Beverly (Hesse) Blumer, his son from a previous marriage Dietrich Blumer (Judy), his son from a previous marriage David Blumer, his stepson Eric Myers, his stepdaughter Valerie McCoy, and eleven grandchildren and step-grandchildren.He was preceded in death by his daughter from a previous marriage Carol (Blumer) Crandall and one step-grandchild.
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