WILLARD BLOCK

BLOCK--Willard. Deeply loved husband, father, grandfather, friend and pioneer of international television program distribution. (May 18, 1930 - October 18 2019). Son of Joseph and Celia Block, born and raised in Brooklyn with his brother Bob, he graduated from Madison H.S. and then his beloved Columbia College, Class of 1951. After serving in the Army Counter Intelligence Corp., he married his wife of 64 years, Roberta (Messner) Block, and embarked on a long career as a media and telecommunications executive, working at NBC, CBS and Viacom, eventually serving as President Viacom Worldwide. He built a lifelong network of business partners and friends, and was a pioneer in the distribution of US television content into international markets, including Europe, Japan, Australia and the Soviet Union. Later as a consultant, he played a foundational role in bringing together Sumitomo and TCI to create Jupiter Telecommunications, Japan's largest cable company. As a teenager he was an accomplished pianist and performed at Carnegie Hall - as a young college graduate he hitchhiked across the country working the wheat harvest - later in life he would scale the Matterhorn. He was a lifelong supporter of the arts and music and shared his love and enthusiasm for adventure with his wife, family and friends through countless excursions to well trodden and seldom trodden places across the globe. His love of life was infectious, he was a dynamic and creative hub connecting people and ideas thoughout his life, he showed a deep and genuine interest in people he met, he collected friends with his larger than life personality - he will be deeply missed. He is survived by his wife Roberta, his three children, Debbie (Bill), Leslie (Phillip) and Andy (Ellen) and six grandchildren, Noah, Dylan (Marken), Daniel, Amanda, Jason and Tess.