Gerald Issar Blank

1928 - 2021

Gerald Issar Blank, father, husband, grandfather, and physician, died on July 21, 2021, at home, Hamden, from late-stage Neuro-endocrine Tumor. Born on Oct. 28, 1928, in Brooklyn, N.Y. he was the son of the late Francis Blank and Alexander Blank. Gerald as he was known to family and known as Gerry to many others, received a BA in English literature from Villanova University, and an MA in teaching English from Columbia University. He was drafted into the Army shortly after he began teaching. Gerry served for two years as a Medic for two years. He attended Medical School in Wurzburg, Germany and transferred to Bern, Switzerland where he received an MD. He returned to the United States with his wife Lilo Knodt and her two children, Helmut, now deceased, and Ursula. Earlier while in Germany he had a son, Uwe Marhenke, whose mother he did not marry. He remained in touch with Uwe until his death. With his wife Lilo he had two children, Michael Blank, married to Marlene Eisenberg, and Naomi Blank. He retired from private practice in medicine, including guest teaching at UConn School of Medicine, to become National Medical Director of the Travelers Insurance Company Medicare contract. In 1994, he left Travelers and worked briefly as an Investigator for drug trials and then for Massachusetts Blue Cross in their Medicare office. At that point he completely retired spending winters in Naples, Fla. and summers in Conn. In addition to his children and wife, he is survived by a bevy of grandchildren, and step-grandchildren including Lilo, Isaac, Elijah, Chris, Jeff, Lisa and children of Eve LaPlante and David Dorfman, Rose, Clara, Charlotte, Philip, Fabian, Julius and Lorenz.
A graveside service is planned for Friday July 23 at 1 p.m., Beth Alomm Cemetery, New Britain. In lieu of flowers, any contributions to Doctors Without Borders, Gerry's favored charity. The Hawley Lincoln Memorial, 424 Elm St., New Haven, is in charge of arrangements.