Robert Max Blum

Blum, Robert Max
RENSSELAERVILLE - Robert Max Blum of Rensselaerville, died on November 27, 2022, at age 94 of natural causes according to his immediate family. Mr. Blum is remembered for his extensive public service to New York City and State, as an Olympic saber fencer, and for his deep commitment to causes he loved.
Mr. Blum held significant leadership roles in New York City government as an assistant and then counsel to Mayor John V. Lindsay from 1966 to 1970. Once described as "Number Three" in the Lindsay administration, Blum's primary responsibility in city government was the advancement of the Local City Hall program, intended to increase the direct influence of communities in the prioritizing of city services and resources. In this role, Mr. Blum had special responsibility for outreach across the Borough of Brooklyn. During periods of crisis and civil unrest in Bedford-Stuyvesant and throughout New York in the mid-1960s, especially following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blum participated in mediations between city officials and community leaders, always seeking to find common ground.
Prior to and following his time in city government, Mr. Blum focused on the practice of law as a civil litigator eventually becoming a senior partner of the firm Bangser, Klein, Rocca & Blum. He concluded his legal career as an assistant attorney general, representing New York State in the landmark Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit.
Paralleling his career in law and government, Blum was a world-class athlete. He was the first American fencer to make the World Championship individual finals in 1958. From there, he would go on to be a two-time Olympic competitor as a saber fencer in the Tokyo (1964) and Mexico Games (1968) and served as the U.S. saber team captain and manager in the decades that followed.
Mr. Blum was predeceased in 2012 by his loving wife and partner in public service, Barbara B. Blum, who among many local, state, and national assignments served as commissioner of Social Services for the State of New York under Governor Carey. After the birth of their second son, Jonathan, who is profoundly autistic, Robert and Barbara Blum were part of a coalition of parents who helped co-found the Association for Metroarea Autistic Children, Inc., in 1961 - one of the very first schools committed to educating children with autism.
A 1950 graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., Blum was a devoted alumnus who rarely missed a homecoming or reunion and served twice on its Board of Trustees during the 1970s and 1980s.
Robert Blum is survived by his children, Stephen, Jonathan, Thomas and Jennifer, and their partners; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; his stepsister, Ellen Fertig; and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Memorial services will be held on December 11, at 2 p.m. at Conkling Hall, 8 Methodist Hill Rd, Rensselaerville, and on December 17, at 2 p.m. at the Yale Club in New York City. Donations in Robert's memory may be sent to Birch Family Services, 104 W 29th St., Floor 3, New York, NY 10001, Attn: Development Dept. or online at birchfamilyservices.org/donate
To leave Robert's family a message on their guestbook, obtain directions, or view other helpful services, please visit www.mcveighfuneralhome.com