Obituary of John D. Alm

John D. Alm, 92, of Bemus Point, NY passed away in his home, with his children at his side, on Monday, August 22, 2022. A lifelong area resident, born June 30, 1930 in Jamestown, NY, he worked into his early 80s as a masonry contractor. He was not only a father of six but also the father of area ice hockey, inducted into the Chautauqua County Sports Hall of Fame in 2008. His mother, Alice Girts of Oroville, CA, father, Louis Alm of Mansfield, OH, brother, Gordon "Bill" Alm of Jupiter, FL, and granddaughter Ashley James of Denver, CO preceded him in death. He is survived by six children: Mindy James (Chip) of Hamburg, NY, Chris Alm of Nashville, TN, Mary Alm of Ithaca, NY, Andy Alm (Kimmy, children Colin & Elyse) of Colorado Springs, CO, Greg Alm of Bemus Point and Becky Carlson (Rick) of Hamburg, NY. He is also survived by six grandchildren: Johnathan Alm of Colorado Springs, CO, Benjamin Cummings of Fredonia, Scott James (Cassie) of Cedar Rapids, IA, Judge Watkins of Colorado Springs, Jamie Carlson and Tyler Carlson of Hamburg, NY, as well as two great-grandchildren, J.J. Estevan Salazar of Colorado Springs and Evangeline Kehoe-James of Cedar Rapids. In his early years, he was an accomplished athlete lettering at both Falconer and Jamestown High Schools and earning a football scholarship to Yuba City College in Marysville, CA. He also won medals in speed skating, as well as playing baseball. As an adult he continued semi professionally with the Fredonia Orioles Football and Erie Lions Ice Hockey teams. In 1966, John founded the Driftwood Ice Rink and formed figure skating, youth and adult ice hockey programs which continued to grow until 1975 when "the barn" burned. Fortunately, plans he helped lay for the Allen Park Ice Rink were realized and developed for all programs to transfer uninterrupted following the fire, and which are now held at the Northwest Arena Ice Rink. The funeral will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday in the Lind Funeral Home, where the family will receive friends from 3 to 5 p.m. for two hours prior to the service Thursday. John will be missed by family and many in the community he helped to shape. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the Chautauqua County Youth Hockey Alumni Association (CCYHA), P.O. Box 221, Falconer, NY 14733.