Hendrik (Henk) Blom, 74, of Granite Bay, CA passed away surrounded by loved ones on December 12th, 2022 after a valiant fight against Parkinson's Disease. Henk had a passion for life and adventure. He loved spending time outdoors, especially traveling, hiking, biking, tennis and spending time with his family while taking photos of it all. He was always on the go and made the most of every moment.

Henk was born on September 21st, 1948 to Emile and Francisca Blom in Java, Indonesia. At six, the family moved from Indonesia to the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, Henk liked to ice skate and play soccer. The Blom family then immigrated to America on July 26, 1961.

Henk valued hard work and took pride in his accomplishments. Coming to America and not knowing a word of English, Henk worked tirelessly to build a better life in America for himself and his family. He helped support his family by working various jobs, including a morning paper delivery route and a job at a fast food restaurant, all while pursuing his studies to attend UC Davis and graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in Botany. On Sept. 18, 1970 he became a US citizen, which he described as a very proud moment in his life. While he loved the sciences, he decided his career path would be in dentistry, specifically orthodontics.

While going to school during the week and working as a general dentist on the weekend, he met his wife, Ellise, a dental assistant at UCSF. One of his favorite stories to tell was how she was the one that let him know he got into Orthodontic school. For such a calm man, it is one time he really let loose running around the car yelling in excitement. Not only did he get into the school he wanted to, but being able to attend UCSF, meant he would get to stay close to Ellise. He received his doctorate in dentistry from UC San Francisco in 1976, then his degree in Orthodontics in 1979.

Henk had the privilege of being mentored and working for many talented orthodontists over the years. However, his ultimate dream was to start a practice of his own. So in 1979, he moved back to the Sacramento area to start his own practice. He practiced orthodontics in the Sacramento area for over 40 years, devoting most of his time to his practice in Citrus Heights.

A well-respected orthodontist, he dedicated himself to his craft, practice, and patients. While he had a very successful career, he always made sure he let his family know that while compliments are nice, he was only as good as his last case, and he made sure to give his patients everything he could all the time.

While owning his own practice was time-consuming, he always made sure to spend time with his family. One of his favorite things was picking his children up from school on Friday and having a night out. Sometimes it was a bike ride, miniature golfing, or bowling. He also shared his love of traveling the world with his family. Traveling everywhere from Europe multiple times, Canada, the East Coast, Hawaii, High Sierra Camps in Yosemite, Alaska, Machu Picchu, Galapagos Island, Iceland, Indonesia, Bhutan, Morocco, Japan, and Thailand, to name a few places. Ever the explorer, he also enjoyed solo trips, including Patagonia, the Grand Canyon, Zion, Death Valley, and Pinnacles National Park. When not traveling the world, he enjoyed staying active. He rode his bike every Sunday morning, usually up Auburn-Folsom on his way to Newcastle or Auburn.

Anyone who had the privilege of knowing Henk as a friend described him as a kind soul. His family and anyone who worked with him knew the high standards he set for himself and others. One of his favorite quotes was, "Perfection is the goal, but excellence will be tolerated." His life is a testament to that saying. He was an excellent orthodontist, son, father, and grandfather. He was beloved by all that knew him and will be missed.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Emile and Francisca Blom. He is survived by his wife, Ellise, and children, Brandon (Elizabeth), Dane (Ashlee), and Sydney Blom, five grandchildren, and siblings Mike and Marianne Blom.

The family asks for any donations to go to Parkinson's Foundation. A celebration of life for Henk will be held at a later date.