Larry Block

Larry Block Larry Block of 5189 Widefield Road, Tallahassee, Fla., passed away at 1 a.m. EDT Wednesday, March 19, 2008. Lawrence Joel Block was born March 14, 1933, in Tallahassee at Johnson Sanitorium, located on Gadsden Street. He was the firstborn son of Al and Evelyn Block and the first grandchild of Sam and Fannye Rosenberg, who were in business together at Rose Printing Company in downtown Tallahassee. The Rosenbergs and the Blocks had moved to Tallahassee in the late 1920s from Atlanta, Ga., where Mr. Rosenberg was a partner in a printing business, because they thought Atlanta with a population of slightly more than 200,000 people was too large. Larry's paternal grandparents were Sam and Cherne Block who lived in Chattanooga, Tenn., Al Block's birthplace. Larry's early years were spent at the Block family homestead on Thomasville Road, which is still in the family. Larry first attended Sealey Grammar School, then junior high and then senior high at Leon High School. He graduated from Leon in 1951. It was during those formative years that he acquired his love of airplanes, boats, cars, heavy equipment and any other object that used an engine. Larry attended the University of Florida during the early 1950s and served in the U.S. Army in Korea. He returned to Tallahassee where he enrolled in FSU and then engaged in the pulpwood business in the local area where he put his equipment fascination to practical use. From the pulpwood business, he began working in the shell home business in Alabama and ultimately managed that business with his father and uncle, Max, in the Gadsden, Ala., area. In 1963, Larry was hired by Sargeant Shriver as the SouthEast Coordinator for the Kennedy Foundation on Mental Retardation. Larry was always looking for new opportunities, and he saw the growth potential in Atlanta. He began Honda motorcycle and Land Rover dealerships in that city and operated that business until his attraction to airplanes led him to found Planes Inc., a large executive aircraft company that distributed Lear Jets and Merlin prop jets. He served as a test pilot for Bill Lear. Mr. Block returned to his beloved Tallahassee in 1987, where he retired in the Bradfordville community. He was an activist for many community causes. He also served as a community columnist for the Tallahassee Democrat. In 1993, he wrote and published a children's book entitled "All About Frogs," which he dedicated to his granddaughter who has Down's Syndrome. Mr. Block is survived by his brothers, Byron B. Block of Tallahassee (sister-in-law Pam Block of Tallahassee) and David Block of Miami; his sister, Penny Berk of Atlanta; and children Lawrence J. Block Jr. (wife Carol) of Tallahassee, F. Michael Block of Tallahassee, John P. Block of Fort Worth, Texas, Lisa Coplan (husband Michael) of Baltimore, Md., and Laura Block (husband Danny) of Snellville; and grandchildren Andrew Block, Sara Block, Anna Block, Louis Coplan, S. Perry Block, Emily Rose Block, Dorothy Coplan, Max Coplan and Alex Block. The graveside service will be at 2 p.m. EDT Friday at Oakland Cemetery. Culley's MeadowWood Funeral Home (850-877-8191) is handling arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family requests any donations to be made to ARC of Florida or Ducks Unlimited.