Richard Block

Richard Harold Block passed away peacefully with family by his side at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL on Sunday, December 4, 2016 after a courageous battle with pneumonia and ARDS. He was 66 years young. He is survived by his beloved wife of 42 years, Debrorah (Debbie) Mumme Block, and his four children, Benjamin William, Christopher Fabian, Allison Joyce, and Zachary Ford Block. He was preceded in death by his parents, William Augustus and Gloria Ford Block and will be sorely missed by his siblings, Tommy (Sharon Steim), Harry (Jackie Cook), Jodie, Roy (Donna Gonzalez) Block, and Helen Block Rafeedie (John). Richard "Dick" was born in New Orleans, LA where he graduated from De La Salle High School. He received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston. He began his career with Freeport McMoRan and spent three decades there, beginning as a process engineer at the Uncle Sam plant in Convent Louisiana and moving into production supervision and executive management roles. Later, he became President of IMC-Agrico. Over the past five years, he served as Chairman of the Board of Minemakers and subsequently Avenira Limited. He was a highly respected leader in the global nutrients industry for many years and through his guidance brought an enormous wealth of experience, intellect and insight. For those lucky enough to spend time with Dick, he leaves a legacy of unparalleled professionalism and friendship that carries far beyond the workplace. In addition, Dick was an active member of the community and served on numerous professional, civic and trade boards including the YMCA, De La Salle High School of New Orleans, the Lake Forest Park & Rec, the Lake Forest Caucus, United Way, the Underage Drinking Coalition and a publicly elected member of the Illinois School District 115 Board of Education. Dick survived cancer twice, was well traveled and an avid fisherman. He enjoyed cycling, photography and cooked extensively, especially known for his gumbo. He enjoyed life to the fullest, in particular raising his children and being at his wife's side. Services will be held Saturday, December 10th at St. Patrick's Church 991 S Waukegan Rd, Lake Forest, IL with visitation at noon and a funeral mass to follow at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation at http://www.lawff.org/ or Christopher Block's medical expense fund at www.youcaring.com/HelpChrisWalk.