Judith Stofer Block was an integral part of Chicago’s civic community, becoming the first woman to chair the board of a major institution when she was named the head of the Field Museum of Natural History’s board in 1997.
“She was a very active civic leader, and I was always grateful because she felt with her heart and she spoke with her brilliant mind,” said Chicago philanthropist Shirley Ryan. “She was so articulate, and she totally understood public service and the implementation of strong ideas into actual benefits for those causes she cared about.”
Block, 83, died of complications from dementia on June 26 at her home, said her son, Philip D. Block IV. She had been a Gold Coast resident for more than 55 years.
Born Judith Lynn Stofer in Lakewood, Ohio, Block received a bachelor’s degree in speech education from Northwestern University in 1963. She was a schoolteacher in Glencoe for four years and in 1967 married Philip D. Block III, an executive at Chicago-based Inland Steel Co. and a grandson of that firm’s founder.
In 1968, she joined the board of the Chicago Child Care Society, a venerable welfare agency that merged with the child welfare agency Family Focus in 2021. Block worked to create a library at the Hyde Park center — which now is named in her honor — and she also oversaw numerous programs, including Head Start and Early Head Start.
Block later was a leader in other child-oriented organizations, including on the boards of the Jane Addams Juvenile Court Foundation, the Child Welfare League of America and the Chicago Foundation for Education.
“She was one of the most vivacious, vocal supporters of our organization,” said Dara Munson, Family Focus’ president and CEO. “And she would challenge me as CEO and she would challenge us as an organization if we were talking about a program — she would ask, ‘Are we having the impact we want to have? What more could we be doing to serve those we serve?’”
Munson said Block championed he Chicago Child Care Society’s merger with Family Focus.
“She knew there was such alignment with our merger partner,” Munson said.
In 1975, Block joined the women’s board of the Field Museum, and she was the president of the women’s board from 1984 until 1986. In 1985, she became a full trustee at the Field Museum, and she chaired a $78 million capital campaign starting in 1995.
In 1997, Block succeeded Leo Mullin as the chairperson of the Field’s board, becoming the first woman to head the venerable institution’s governing board in what then was its 103-year history.
“It might be unusual, but I don’t quite see it that way,” Block told the Tribune in 1997. “I’m very flattered to be heading this great museum. It’s an honor, not because I am a woman, but because I have the opportunity to lead.”
During her three years as board chair, the museum made headlines for paying $8 million at a hotly contested auction to acquire “Sue,” the dinosaur fossil that stands as one of the best-preserved Tyrannosaurus rex specimens ever found. Sue remains a prominent and popular feature at the museum. Other events during her time as the Field’s chair included hosting a visit by the Dalai Lama and presenting exhibitions on the Dead Sea Scrolls and on motorcycles.
Former Tribune Co. chairman and CEO John Madigan said that although Block was “full of fun,” she took her board and chairperson duties very seriously.
“She was aggressive, she always wanted information and she asked great questions, and she really liked to be in the middle of things, so I think that led to her great success,” he said. “She really broke a barrier when she became head of the Field Museum (board).”
Block was a longtime trustee of Northwestern University, where she initially served on the women’s board, eventually becoming president.
Other boards that Block chaired or served on included the Field Foundation of Illinois and Know Your Chicago. She also served on the Executive Committee of the Chicago Community Trust.
In 1999, Block received the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago’s Outstanding Achievement Award for her volunteer work.
“I am so glad to say today that women volunteers have gone from the ballroom to the boardroom,” Block said upon receiving the award.
In 2007, then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich named Block a Lincoln Laureate, which is the state’s highest award for achievement.
Philip D. Block III died in 2016. In addition to her son, Block is survived by a daughter, Margaret Block Stineman; five grandchildren; and a brother, Gordon “Chub” Stofer.
A memorial service will take place at 3:30 p.m. Monday, July 15, at St. James Cathedral, 65 E. Huron St., followed by a private reception.
Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.