John Irving Blumenthal

John Irving Blumenthal died November 21, 2025, in his hometown of Rye, New York. He was 96.
Mr. Blumenthal was born August 14, 1929, in Austin, Minnesota, to Irving Rolfe Blumenthal and Lina Mikolas Blumenthal. He moved to Rye in 1932 and attended Milton School and Rye High School. He graduated from Colgate University in 1951. He lived in Rye for more than 80 years.
John served in the Korean War conflict as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army where he was awarded The Bronze Star for Meritorious Service.
John began a career in advertising at Young & Rubicam in 1952 and advanced to become Creative Director at several leading advertising agencies. He was the originator of some of America's most famous advertising campaigns. His awards include dozens of Clios, Art Director awards and Grand Prix winners at both the Cannes and Venice Film Festivals. Later, he was partner in the agencies Hawkins, McCain & Blumenthal and The Product Performance Group.
He served as volunteer chairman of the Advisory Board for the Westchester Lighthouse and on the boards of the Rye Free Reading Room, Friends of Rye Town Park and the Rye United Way. He was a long-time patient support volunteer for the emergency rooms at White Plains and United Hospitals.
Mary Newkirk Blumenthal, his wife of 59 years, died in 2013. He is survived by three children: son Tim and his wife, Lise, of Cornwall, Vermont; son Thomas and his wife, Amy, of Riverside, Connecticut; and son Andy of Frisco, Colorado. His sister, Jane Gilman, lives in Beverly Hills, California. He also leaves two grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
John will continue to be remembered and revered for his many exceptional talents, especially his love for writing and words; the inspirational way he treated everyone with kindness and respect, and his multi-faceted athleticism.
A master of spin in racket sports, he was equally adept at putting words together. He ranks among the top all-time winners of the weekly New York Magazine competition where his string of free subscriptions will stretch into the 22nd century.
Here's a quick A-Z snapshot of his action-packed, lifetime of sports in Rye:
- Basketball point guard and T-formation quarterback/placekicker for Rye High School
- Golfer and racquet sports competitor at Apawamis and Manursing
- Sailor on the Sound
- Single scull rower at the Rye Municipal Boat Basin
- Softball shortstop at Rye Rec Center
- Swimmer and diver at the Oakland Beach pool.
A family celebration of life is planned for mid 2026.
Memorial donations may be made to The Lighthouse Guild, a New York City-based non-profit that assists people with vision loss in Westchester County (lighthouseguild.org).