Steven Louis Block

1934 - 2017

Block, Steven Louis,

Steven Louis Block was born in Louisville on September 30th, 1934 to Karolyn and Dr. Louis Block and died in his beloved Louisville on August 23rd, 2017. Steven started school at Ballard School, continued at Male High School, went on to graduate from the University of Louisville and then received his Master's Degree in City Planning from Harvard University. He lived in Washington, D.C. for many years, working for the Vista (Volunteers in Service to America) program, during this time he worked with the Appalachian Volunteers in Eastern Kentucky, a part of our state which he came to love.

While he was living in Washington he began collecting art, especially the lithographs of James McNeill Whistler. He built up an extensive and fine collection of these and a number of years ago donated them to the J.B.Speed Museum - and the Commonwealth of Kentucky; they are exhibited now at the Speed Museum. He also collected a number of pieces of American Art which he donated to the University of Louisville, Hite Art Institute. Among these is a non-American piece, an original Rembrandt etching, which is on display at U. of L.

Steven loved Louisville and especially loved Old Louisville where he lived for the last twenty years of his life. He was active in the arts in Louisville; he had a special affection for the Kentucky Opera Association and the Louisville Ballet to which he was a regular contributor and friend.

He is survived by his brother, Richard Block and several cousins including John Greenebaum of Louisville and Jonathan Greene of Frankfort, Ky.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations may be made to the Kentucky Opera Association or the Louisville Ballet.

A Celebration of his Life will be held at Treyton Oaks at a later date.