ORANGE — Leonard Optician’s eye care services will soon move to Athol, as Barre Opticians & Hearing Center absorbs the longtime Orange business’ hearing aid department in late September.

Douglas Dupell, who co-owns the Orange business with David Dougan, will retain ownership of Leonard Optician, but is largely stepping away because of a family health issue.

“It’s been a great career,” he said. “It’s treated me well.”

Leonard Optician, which was founded in 1940 and owned by Fred Leonard until Dupell purchased it in 1986, will close its doors at 119 New Athol Road on Sept. 26 and will then settle into its new home at 248 Exchange St. in Athol. Dupell said the new spot was formerly a doughnut shop but has been vacant for several years. The hope is to open in Athol by early October if renovations are completed.

Dupell is sending his hearing aid inventory and clients to friend Salvatore Imperato at 395 Main St. in Barre because Dougan is not certified to handle hearing aids. Dougan declined to provide comment to the Greenfield Recorder.

Imperato said he has run Dupell’s business temporarily a couple of times over the years as a favor and is happy to help a friend. He also said he doesn’t want Dupell’s clients to go without the services they need.

“Everybody’s got to help one another,” he said. “That’s the main thing in life.”

Leonard Optician no longer conducts hearing tests because most insurances require a 30- to 60-day trial period, and the hearing aid department closes in a month.

“That’s part of the frustration of closing, because we’re busy,” Dupell noted.

There had been a possibility of Leonard Optician remaining in the Health Center Plaza owned by the Community Health Center of Franklin County by moving into the former site of Bear Arms, a gun shop that moved to Athol earlier this year. However, the 248 Exchange St. location in Athol proved to be a more affordable option that also provided suitable space for Leonard Optician’s remaining services.

Dr. Allison van der Velden, CEO of Community Health Center of Franklin County, explained the nonprofit has no intention of pricing out their tenants with rent increases, but the cost was well below market when the organization closed on the lot formerly known as the Aubuchon Plaza three years ago this month.

“The rent was very, very low,” she explained, adding that the health center is not primarily a landlord “but we do want to make sure we’re being fiscally responsible with setting that rate.”

Van der Velden said the health center is considering using Leonard Optician’s soon-to-be-vacant spot to expand its services, possibly with a pharmacy.

Dupell noted Leonard Optician’s current 2,200-square-foot space is too big anyway and Dougan needs only 800 to 1,000 square feet to operate the eye care services.

Dupell, who lives in Templeton, completed two years of education at Worcester Industrial Technical Institute after high school and has been a certified optician ever since. He worked in Holyoke and then Greenfield before buying Leonard Optician.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.