Philip Block Obituary

Block III, Philip D. "P.D." Proud, lifelong Chicagoan and civic leader, P.D. Block passed away on Friday, July 1, 2016, at his home in Chicago after a long struggle with dementia. A Valentine's Day baby born on February 14, 1937 in Chicago, Illinois, he was 79 years old. P.D. lived his entire life on a two-block stretch of Lake Shore Drive, first in his childhood home, then as a bachelor, and finally settling in his current home since 1967 with his wife of 48 years, Judith Stofer Block. P.D. attended the Latin School of Chicago for his first 10 years of schooling, followed by Phillips Academy (Andover, Massachusetts) for high school, and completed his Bachelor's Degree at Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut) in 1958. Following college, P.D. worked for the Inland Steel Company, which was founded in 1893 by his great-grandfather (Joseph Block) and his grandfather (Philip D. Block), and was chaired by his father (Philip D. Block, Jr.) from 1967-1971. He served the company for 27 years, finishing as Vice President of Purchasing before retiring from the steel business. While at Inland, P.D. served as a five-year reservist in the Air Force, based in Chicago in the late 50's and early 60's. He often liked to tell the tall tale of having fought the "Battle of O'Hare" during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1985, P.D. put on a new career hat and opened the Chicago office for the Capital Guardian Trust Company, a Los Angeles-based investment management firm. He retired from Capital Guardian after 18 years with the company, which afforded him more time to pursue some of his greatest passions, fishing and travel. P.D. was an avid fly-fisherman who traveled the world with friends and family in search of the ultimate catch, but it could be argued he was happiest when fishing his favorite trout stream in Northern Wisconsin. His journeys also took him to Africa many times, where he loved escaping into the bush on safari. If given the choice, P.D. preferred to travel by train, a passion he developed in the "good old days" when things were simpler and the comforts of train travel were cherished. He rode many of the famous train lines worldwide. When not traveling, P.D. Block could often be found at one of Chicago's sporting venues, as he was a lifelong fan of the Chicago Blackhawks, Bears, White Sox and Northwestern Wildcats football. Beyond his career and personal interests, P.D. was an active and accomplished contributor to the Chicago community. He deeply believed that voluntary service was a responsibility of citizenship. He served as Chairman of the Board at Shedd Aquarium and The Chicago Historical Society (now The Chicago History Museum), and was an active board member of many other organizations including Children's Memorial Hospital (now Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital), the Better Government Association, Chicago Commons, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, The Latin School of Chicago and Phillips Academy. He was also appointed to the National Strategic Materials Committee of the U.S. Department of the Interior in the mid-1980's, was asked by Mayor Richard Daley to head the Chicago School Finance Authority in the early 1990's, and served as a Director with the Rand McNally Company for many years. P.D. Block was a true gentleman. He was a kind, thoughtful and loyal individual who always put others before himself. Despite his outwardly proper persona, with the advent of email, nobody loved forwarding a dirty joke more than P.D. He was loved and respected by many. He was the son of Philip D. Block Jr. and Margaret Selz Block; loving husband to his surviving spouse, Judith; loyal brother of Andrew K. Block; devoted father to Philip D. Block IV ("Flip", married to Susanna) and Margaret Block Stineman ("Margie", married to Kevin), and was loved as "GranPD" to five grandchildren, Vanessa, Margaret "Meg", Philip D. Block V "P.J.", Stofer and Hope. Funeral Services have been held. A memorial service followed by a reception will be held on Monday, July 18 at 4:30 p.m. at The Standard Club, 320 S. Plymouth Court, Chicago. In lieu of flowers, the family appreciates any donations be sent to The Chicago History Museum (www.chicagohistory.org) or Shedd Aquarium (www.sheddaquarium.org).