Marshall Edward Blume

1941 - 2019

1941-2019
OXFORD - After a sudden and brief illness, Marshall Edward Blume died the afternoon of Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019, in Easton, Md. In his final hours, Marshall was surrounded by his wife of 53 years, his three children and their families. His nurse expressed awe at finding "so much love in one room."
Marshall met Loretta Ryan on a blind date in Chicago and married her in June of 1966. Three children followed: Christopher Blume, Caroline Blume Sanderson and Catherine Blume Meyerle. They, in turn, married and bore Marshall seven grandchildren who endearingly called him "Grand Marshall."
In spirit, there was little difference between grandfather and his grandchildren. Marshall's impish joy imbued ice cream runs, dance parties and Lego projects, often at family reunions he organized to celebrate family time.
As a lifelong scholar, Marshall studied at Trinity College and earned his Ph.D. in finance at the University of Chicago. He believed in living at the edge of knowledge and in working to extend that boundary. His curiosity and intellect ultimately brought him to the Wharton School in Philadelphia, Pa., where he was a professor of finance for 44 years. Marshall was widely recognized as an authority on investment strategies, measurement of risk and pricing of financial assets. He once served as director of the Rodney L. White Center for Financial Research and was honored as the Howard Butcher Professor, Emeritus, of Financial Management.
As a real world complement to his work in academia, Marshall co-founded the asset management firm Prudent Management Associates in 1982. He successfully counseled numerous clients that trusted PMA to make sound investment decisions.
Against that professional backdrop, Marshall was generous with his time, expertise and resources. He served as the managing editor of the Journal of Finance and sat on multiple boards, from the Academic Advisory Board of Standard & Poor's to the Episcopal Dioceses of Easton's Investment Board. In the last few years, he served as the treasurer at Holy Trinity Church in his adopted hometown of Oxford, Md. Most recently, he and Loretta launched the Mid-Shore Scholars program in Easton, Md., to support aspiring students with a path to higher education.
Since his death, countless people have recalled Marshall's kind smile, joyful laugh and youthful enthusiasm. He adored his family and cherished his friends. His active mind was dwarfed only by his boundless heart. It is in the joyful memories of this unique combination that we now take solace.
A service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9, at Holy Trinity Church in Oxford, Md.
Donations can be made in his memory to Holy Trinity Church, 502 S. Morris St., Oxford, MD 21654.
For online condolences, please visit www.fhnfuneralhome.com.