August G. Blume

August G. Blume

August Blume, 82, of Charlottesville, known to his friends as "Augie", died peacefully on Friday, February 6, 2009, at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville.

He is survived by his longtime and loving companion, renowned art writer, Ruth Latter, and many dear friends, scattered around the globe.

He was born September 27, 1927, in Bronx, New York, the son of the late Louis Gerard Blume and Ruth Gertrude Leona Woolsey, and was the widower of Nancy Moran Blume who died in December 1993.

Growing up in Baltimore, he attended private and public schools there, followed by Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and New York Technical Institute in Baltimore. Augie served in the United States Navy as an aviation ordnance man during World War II and the Korean War. He was keenly interested in the history of early military aviation for well over 50 years. Since the mid-1960s, he studied the Russian air fleet of World War I. He traveled to Russia to search for material in the archives and became a recognized expert of Russian aviation history of World War I. His research culminated in the 2-volume book, "The Russian Military Air Fleet in World War One" that will be published by Schiffer Military History in June of this year.

Augie had many articles in "Cross and Cockade U.S," "Avions" and "Over the Front." Until his untimely death he was actively researching the early military aviation of Romania and Ukraine, of the White and Red Russian forces and the Allied Intervention in Russia from 1918 until 1920. He was a member, and served on the boards of the "League of World War I Aviation Historians" and the publication "World War I Aero" and was a member of the "Charlottesville Aviation Luncheon Club".

August's other hobby was Jazz. He was one of the founders of the Interracial Jazz Society as part of the Civil Rights movement in Baltimore from 1954 until 1957 and was a member of the NAACP and the Congress on Racial Equality. His interview with John Coltrane was published in "Jazz Review". He worked for the recording industry and was the Upper Midwest Promotion Manager for Columbia Records and later the National Promotion Manager for RCA. After his retirement and move to Charlottesville he became an active member of the local Jazz Club.

Augie spoke often of the importance of being a Positive Force in the Universe.

In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to The Alzheimer's Association:

http://www.alz.org/join_the_cause_donate.asp

Quote From Augie:

"Came across something that rang my chimes,

pass it along for what it's worth.

A Sanskrit verse - For the one that is born, death is certain, and certain is birth for the one who has died. Therefore for what is unavoidable, thou shouldst not grieve.

Talk to you soon. Stay Tuned. Augie"

A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Thursday, February 12, 2009, at Hill and Wood Funeral Home, 201 North 1st Street.


This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.