Joan Blum

1926 - 2017

Joan Kurley Blum

Joan Kurley Blum passed away on October 28, 2017 at the age of 91, at home in Kentfield with family by her side. Born in Palm Beach, Florida in 1926 during that state's largest hurricane until this year, she lived a full and exciting life surrounded by friends and family on several continents. Predeceased by parents Eva (Milosavljevich) and Daniel Kurley, born in what is now Croatia and Serbia respectively, she is survived by brother Milan (Jean) Stoyanov, children Christopher (Norma) Blum, Martha Blum, and Louisa Lucie-Smith; also grandchildren Jennifer and Jeanne Blum, Theodore (Liza) and Cecile Babcock, Sophia (Aboud) Khaddam and Robert Lucie-Smith, and granddaughter Petra Khaddam. Also predeceased by beloved son-in-law Derek Lucie-Smith.

Her second marriage was to the love of her life, Robert Blum, in 1967. Our beloved adoptive father died of ALS on their thirtieth-fourth anniversary in 2001. After graduating from the University of Washington, Joan moved to Berkeley in 1949, where her first husband graduated from Boalt Law School. Loving Berkeley's energy, she stayed following the end of that marriage and worked at the Cal Alumni House until going into both marriage and a business partnership with new husband Bob. Together they traveled the world as consultants for non-profits in the US, Australia, and the UK. Wonderfully creative, she won the Silver Mailbox award (Direct Mail Marketing Association), the Golden Addy Award (American Advertising Federation), and many others.

Upon retirement she brought her considerable energies closer to home, serving on the Marin County Civil Grand Jury, the board of the Buckelew Foundation, and helping to launch Marin Villages. In recent years she was an active Rotarian, serving as president of the Larkspur Rotary Club in 2007 and hosting fabulous holiday parties for her Rotarian friends each year.

A celebration of her life will be held on November 16. Please contact martyblum@gmail.com for information.