Doctor Duane

In 1972, Dr. Duane I. Kirk graduated from UCLA with a B.S. degree in biochemistry. At that time, he was hired for a position as a biochemist at American Cyanamid in Azusa, CA. Soon he realized that breathing all those fumes and working with test tubes instead of people was not for him, so he considered professional school, settling on the field of optometry. He was accepted to UC Berkeley, School of Optometry in 1974, one of the sixty students selected from a field of over nine hundred applicants.

Upon graduation, he was hired as an associate to Dr. Bob Greenwood, an established optometrist in Tracy, CA. Soon thereafter, Dr. Kirk set his sights on opening his own solo practice in a small community in which he could get involved and raise his family.

Dr. Kirk and his wife, Susan, began a search for a suitable location to open a business and ran across a small town north of Modesto called Ripon. It seemed perfect and the Kirks opened the doors of their business at 114 W. Main St., Ripon, on October 1, 1982. The business grew slowly at first, but soon word got out that the excellent care and the time spent with patients was something to experience.

After several years, with the business flourishing, the office space became inadequate. In 1988, the purchase, remodel and establishment of Almond Blossom Optometry at its present location took place. After 20 years at this location, plans were made to remodel and expand the office to accommodate a second doctor. Construction began in Feb. 2010 and the new Optical Service Area and business office was put into use in Sept. 2010. Since then, the additional phases of construction have taken place as time allows and the office is now fully functional for two doctors and their staff.

Dr. Kirk is a family man who dearly loves and cherishes his wife and children. His three children, all adults now, also cherish him as a role model and mentor. In fact, his older son has decided to follow in his dad’s footsteps and is recently graduated from the Southern California College of Optometry. He joined Almond Blossom Optometry in July 2011 and we now can boast not one Dr. Kirk, but two!