Only two weeks ago, Lucille Block made her way to the Northwest Side studios of Edward Fox Photography which, like her, was celebrating its 100th year.
Gracious, as always, she chatted with other centenarians and posed for a portrait to celebrate her upcoming 100th birthday, for which the family had planned a gala outing at a Gold Coast restaurant on July 7.
“She always felt it was her job to cheer you up. She always had compliments. She had a real sweetness to her,” said Tony Weisman of his great-aunt.
Mrs. Block, 99, died Wednesday in Northwestern Memorial Hospital after suffering a brain hemorrhage.
Born on the South Side, Mrs. Block grew up in a time of horse-drawn fire engines, lamplighters, icemen making home deliveries and fruit peddlers pushing small carts of strawberries or raspberries through her neighborhood.
She remembered much of her childhood in a memoir, “The Sights, Sounds and Smells of a Bygone Day,” which she wrote for her grandchildren a decade ago. Part of it was reprinted in the Tribune Sunday Magazine.
Outside of her home, Mrs. Block was known for her volunteer work, including many years as a member of the women’s boards of Michael Reese Hospital, the Field Museum of Natural History and the Chicago Historical Society.
Her husband, Joseph L. Block, was a leader in the era of American industrial dominance as the former president, chairman and chief executive officer of Inland Steel Co. Married for 68 years, the couple were so close they signed their personal notes “LuJoe,” a contraction of their first names. He died in 1992.
“She was a lover of beauty and nature,” recalled their only child, Susan Rubnitz. “She was also an early believer in healthy nutrition, massage, exercise and positive thinking. She was a caring, gracious and beautiful lady.”
She was also something of a prankster, family members recalled, favoring plastic novelties that looked like spilled food.
Mrs. Block is also survived by two brothers, Myron and William Eichengreen; three grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Services will begin at noon Monday in Chicago Sinai Congregation, 15 W. Delaware Pl.
