Building a successful career in business, he constantly gave back to our city: whether as a patron of our arts, a donor to our food banks or a benefactor to our efforts to end homelessness., Sen. Alex Padilla said that Blum was a compassionate humanitarian who dedicated his life to improving the world for others., Above all, Dick was devoted to his family, Padilla continued. Dianne Feinstein's husband Richard Blum dies after long battle with cancer Blum was a financier and philanthropist, focusing on Tibet and ending global poverty Mayor Dianne Feinstein with her. Senator Dianne Feinstein is embraced by her husband Richard Blum (left) after being re-elected for Senator at the Presidio Officers Club in San Francisco, California, on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018. ARLEN RICHARD BLUM Arlen Richard "Dick" Blum, of San Jose, CA, originally from Chicago, IL., passed away April 3, 2022. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who represents San Francisco, said Blum was a dear friend, a devoted philanthropist and a proud San Franciscan" who was a donor to arts and anti-hunger programs in the city. His net worth was estimated to exceed $1 billion. He Is survived by his wife of 33 years, Harriet Warm, his son Peter Blum, daughters Anne Blum, Jane (John) DeMarchi, Elizabeth (Duncan) Lons- dale, Johanna Schupf, and Katherine (Albert-deceased) Kim. Im going to miss him terribly. He remained her closest confidant and most reliable fund-raiser through her mayoralty, which ended in 1988. Boredom has never worked for me, Blum told an interviewer for the oral history, explaining why he chose investments over the shirt trade or fruit-packing, both early options. His funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, May 1, 2021, at the Newport Moose Lodge on Roberts Road. The Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989 was barely a year old when Blum picked a fight with the general secretary of the Communist Party of China, Jiang Zemin, who had invited him and Feinstein, San Franciscos former mayor, to discuss Tibet over dinner. He also befriended Sir Edmund Hillary, one of the first climbers to have reached Mount Everest, and attempted his own trek in 1981. He published his memoir in 2016, An Accident of Geography: Compassion, Innovation and the Fight Against Poverty. In it, he says he was thrilled to learn in 1953 that people had reached the top of Mount Everest for the first time but also felt jealous. As a financier, he amassed a fortune that he spent on Democrats, helping to propel his wife from San Francisco mayor to a long career in the Senate. In addition to Ms. Feinstein, Mr. Blum is survived by a brother, Robert; his daughters, Annette, Heidi and Eileen; his stepdaughter, Katherine; and seven grandchildren. Fall 2022 President's, Dean's lists and graduates. Blum was 10 when his father died of breast cancer. Our colleagues very loving husband was, simply put, a fascinating person. [30] He served on many other boards, including the Seva Foundation and as chairman of the Himalayan Foundation. He never tires of telling people that, when they married, he decided to keep his maiden name, Yudof quipped. Richard Blum Obituary. Richard Blum, husband of California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, died Sunday after a long battle with cancer. He was predeceased by his loving parents, Stuart and Ruth Blum, and his sister, Cindy Kohler. Unfortunately, there has been no news concerning the funeral plans for a deceased person. Blum entered UC Berkeley in 1953, spent a year studying in Vienna, and completed his MBA at Berkeleys Haas School of Business. California Richard Blum, husband of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, dies at 86 Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) appears with husband Richard Blum at an election event in San Francisco in November. PUBLISHED: September 24, 2020 at 10:28 a.m. | UPDATED: September 25, 2020 at 6:30 a.m. Richard Blum, a wealthy investment banker and Sen. Dianne Feinstein's husband, was revealed Thursday as the . The question often prompted speculation among whichever monks were in attendance, until one day Blum concluded that he had to have been a yak. It was on his first trek in Nepal in 1968 that Blum grew interested in the breathtaking terrain and compassionate cultures of the Himalayan region. A 2020 state audit of UCs admissions process accused him of writing an inappropriate letter of support to help a student get into UC Berkeley. FILE - Richard Blum in San Francisco, Nov . Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. He was by my side for the good times and for the challenges. Blum, the husband of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has died after a long battle with cancer. UC officials are reviewing the case, which was discovered during an audit of the UC systems admissions process. Rick was survived by many loving cousins, and his dear friend, Grant Stickel. His energetic life was offset by his curiosity, generous spirit and interest in art and history. Members of her own Democratic caucus had been grumbling that her mental acuity had diminished and that she had become too accommodating to Republicans. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Richard Charles Blum was born on July 31, 1935, in San Francisco to Louise Hirsch and Herbert Blum, a seller of robes and raincoats who died during Richards boyhood. Richard Blum never feared to speak the truth the man has guts whether to governors, fellow regents, students, staff, faculty or media, Yudof said in the foreword to Blums oral history, recorded during more than 20 hours from 2009 to 2014 by three interviewers and stored at the Bancroft Library of UC Berkeley. A graveside service will take place in Oak Hill cemetery this spring at a time to be announced. January 13, 2023 After Bertram Feinsteins death, Dianne Feinstein again met with Blum for an economic update, and a romance soon blossomed, with Feinstein even accompanying Blum on a 1978 trip to India and Nepal. With deep pockets, he became a major figure in Democratic politics, counting Jimmy Carter as a jogging partner and Mr. Biden as one of many beneficiaries of his largess. No, the worst thing for me is boredom until catastrophe hits, he said. Online collections of folk songs going back hundreds of years. [25], Blum was at various times a trustee of The Carter Center; co-chairman of The World Conference of Religions for Peace;[9] member of Governing Council of The Wilderness Society;[5] member of the board of trustees of the Brookings Institution; member of the board of trustees of the American Cancer Society Foundation; member of the board of directors of the National Democratic Institute;[26] and a member of the board of trustees of the Richard C. Blum Center for Developing Economies at the University of California, Berkeley. Dick was a family man, a man Arlen Richard Blum's Obituary - San Jose, California | Ever Loved Despite the fact that Ive spent a lot of time with Tibetans [discussing reincarnation] no one has convinced me we come this way more than once, he said. [16] Blum was also a member of the advisory board of Berkeley's Haas School of Business. Locations | Will others follow? She and Blum married in 1980. RICHARD BLUM OBITUARY BLUM--Richard J., (1931-2022), a lifelong resident of Cleveland, died of complications of Parkinson's on January 22, 2022. financier and UC regent was 86, Jeannene Przyblyski, S.F. Richard Blum, Political Donor and Husband of Senator Feinstein, Dies at 86, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/28/us/politics/richard-blum-dead.html. Blum was born in San Francisco and received a bachelors degree in business administration and a master of business administration from UC Berkeley. Behind-the-scenes power broker Richard Blum compares his new job as chair of the UC Board of Regents to a corporate restructuring. Find an Obituary. Former President Donald Trump is congratulating his former adviser Kellyanne Conway after reports that she and her husba. In a statement of condolence, Mr. Biden called Mr. Blum a successful businessman and proud son of California who dedicated much of his public life to fighting poverty around the globe through the establishment of the American Himalayan Foundation, a nonprofit group that builds schools and hospitals in Tibet, and the Blum Center for Developing Economies at the University of California, Berkeley, which focuses on innovative solutions to global poverty. Dick was more than a friend, Lansing said. Obituary for Clinton Cardell Pruitt. He and Harriet were a wonder loving couple and complimented each other perfectly. Yet tributes to Blum on Monday crossed party lines. It was only during his final months that he sought government office, informing President Biden early last year that he hoped to be made an ambassador. American. Blums vast business ties and stock holdings would occasionally dog Feinstein. In 2006, the financier opened the Blum Center for Developing Economies at UC Berkeley so students could learn to address urgent problems around the world. Expand the Memories and Condolences form. In a statement, Gov. The marriage was the third for Feinstein and the second for Blum, who had three daughters with his first wife. He leaves behind his cherished daughter, Debbie Blum Rogers, a twin brother Roger, Blum and younger brother, Jeremy Blum and his wife Carol, nephews, Scott, Keith, Mark, three nieces, Darlene Brewer, Courtney Blum Brown, Tiffany Blum as well as his two feline companions. FILE - Richard Blum in San Francisco, Nov . Giving to charity is a meaningful way to honor someone who has died. In July 2016, workers and students protested at several Blum Centers after the regent supported changes to UCs pension plan they said benefited executives at the expense of lower-paid employees. Richard C. Blum, a longtime Bay Area businessman and husband of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, died at home Sunday night after a long battle with cancer. Above and beyond his many professional and philanthropic accomplishments, Dick was a man of personal decency and generosity a champion of human rights, driven by genuine care and compassion to make a difference in the world, Biden said in a statement. Today, the center offers a popular minor on campus, Global Poverty & Practice, and serves as an incubator of ideas for social change. Richard Blum, a longtime member of the University of California Board of Regents and husband of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, died Sunday evening after a long battle with cancer. Dick Blum (left) chats it up with Paul Pelosi at the new de Young Museum for a dinner hosted by the city of San Francisco in honor of their Royal Highnesses, Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, in 2005. He was by my side for the good times and for the challenges. SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Senator Dianne Feinstein's husband, financier Richard Blum, died at home Sunday night after a long battle with cancer, Feinstein's office says. He and Blum would graduate from San Franciscos academically elite public high school, Lowell. ~Deepa. Richard C. Blum, a financier and major donor to Democrats above all his wife, Senator Dianne Feinstein of California died on Sunday at the family home in San Francisco. In 1981, he transformed the effort into the American Himalayan Foundation, which Yudof summed up as a brilliantly conceived effort to provide on-the-ground assistance to impoverished peoples in the region, to build real and metaphorical bridges, to rescue young women from childhood slavery and prostitution to do concrete things for real people on the ground.. Earlier in her career she wrote about education for The Atlantic in Washington, D.C. She graduated from UC San Diego with a BA degree in political science with a minor in communication. The loss of loved ones can be felt by everyone who knew her and was fortunate enough to be acquaintances with her. Before Doug Emhoff [Harris husband and the nations first gentleman], Dick was sort of the model of the consort, and I think he did a good job. [4] On the back of this deal Blum started in business for himself in 1975, founding what is now Blum Capital Partners;[4] a stake in URS Corp. was one of its first investments. Devoted grandfather of 13 and brother of John (Kathy) Blum. Family and friends can send flowers and condolences in memory of the loved one. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. "My heart is broken. Blum has three daughters from a first marriage: Annette Blum of Santa Monica, Heidi Blum of Switzerland, and Eileen Blum Bourgade of San Francisco. About five years ago, when Buell was chairing an effort to bring the Americas Cup to San Francisco, Blum donated not because of a great attachment to sailing, Buell said, but because it was civic, and I think thats a good reflection of who he was.. In a statement announcing the passing of her husband, Feinstein called Blum a devoted family man of enormous generosity who strove to make the world a better place. "My heart is broken today. [3] He attended San Francisco public schools. Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. He also dedicated much of his life to the people of the Himalayas, founding the American Himalayan Foundation in 1981 something Feinstein described as one of his proudest achievements.. Washington correspondent Tal Kopan contributed to this report. Gavin Newsom praised Blum as a model Californian. What could reparations mean for Black residents of Alameda County? Grief researchers say holding that missing funeral service, even a year or more later, can still help us heal. Among its many projects, the foundation diverted some 6,000 girls in West Nepal from possible sex slavery to school, Blum told an oral history interviewer in 2009. When the centers new building broke ground in 2009, a glittering array of political celebrities among them former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton; former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, who became a center trustee; and former Vice President Al Gore heaped praise on the project, and on Blum. He served for many years on the Haas Schools advisory board, and in 1994 was named alumnus of the year. Los Angeles, ICE detainees allege retaliation for speaking about medical conditions at Otay Mesa center, Downtown L.A stabbing sends six to hospital; suspect arrested, San Diego Roman Catholic diocese facing yet another lawsuit from its insurance company, K-Pop isnt the only hot ticket in Koreatown how trot is captivating immigrants, Los Angeles is suddenly awash in waterfalls. I think its a bunch of nonsense.. 7, 2006. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. [7] Blum previously served as chairman of the board of directors of CB Richard Ellis,[8][9] as well as serving as director on the boards of directors of three other portfolio companies: Fairmont Raffles Holdings International Ltd., Current Media, L.L.C., and Myer Pty Ltd. in Australia. Everest, befriended the Dalai Lama and married then-San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein, he bought and sold the circus literally. Plant a tree in memory of Richard An environmentally friendly option Plant a tree H Henry Maurer June 1, 2021 I recently learned of the passing of Rich Blum. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Blum was revealed to have written to the universitys chancellor. We have a hole in our hearts that will never be filled. in sociology from Queens College. Richard Blum, 1935-2022. Contact Us | Emily DeRuy is the Bay Area News Group's housing and economy editor overseeing coverage for The Mercury News and East Bay Times. The Blum boys were sent for two years to a military academy in San Rafael where they met another future financier, Warren Hellman. Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love. I am going to miss him terribly.. Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you. Feinstein announced her husband's death in a statement Monday morning that said her heart is broken today.. My husband. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke about Blums contributions to San Francisco, the city the Democrat represents. Write your message of sympathy today. News Corp is a global, diversified media and information services company focused on creating and distributing authoritative and engaging content and other products and services. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. Richard Blum's cause of death was confirmed by his family. Dr. Richard Blum Richard Blum was born in Czernowitz (then Austria) in 1913. Feinstein's husband, University of California Regent Richard Blum, was named Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020, by the state auditor's office as one of the regents involved in admissions scandal where UC . Her stories led to changes in charter school laws, prompted a ban on Scientology in California public schools, and exposed cheating and censorship in testing.A past president of the Society of Professional Journalists' Northern California chapter, Nanette has a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and a B.A. Columbo style that might seem to border on the bumbling but is actually quite effective., Vice President Kamala Harris, who launched her political career in San Francisco and served in the Senate with Feinstein, said she had long admired Blums compassion and boundless energy., Dick Blum believed we could build a world that respected the rights and essential dignity of all people, Harris said Monday. He was actively involved in St. Timothy's, and enjoyed Golfing and Swimming. As for Carter, he and Blum served on each others boards, although Carters role with the Blum Center has been honorary, as has the Dalai Lamas. He enjoyed Dianne for both her beauty and her power. Called by the nickname "Blos" by many of his friends, he was an outdoorsman who was an early runner, skier, mountain climber, hiker and distance bike rider. Mr. Blum exerted influence generally as a political patron and an adviser. But hed keep going. please know i've been thinking of your beautiful family all week .my deepest regards lois, Dear Jane and John, All the trustees join me in expressing our condolence and deepest sympathy at your father's passing. Our nation and our world are better for his work.. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. (86 years old). A friend of the Dalai Lama, Blum wrangled with Chinese leaders over their human-rights abuses in Tibet. Blum, tall at 6-foot-4, with dark, unruly hair, was best known throughout the state for his role as a UC regent. His life's accomplishments are long and varied, and covered in numerous obituaries. Mayor Dianne Feinstein of San Francisco and investment banker Richard Blum, who married in 1980, share a kiss in her office. More than a year later, although the report is complete, it hasnt been made public because the regents have still not reviewed it, university officials said. A public memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 4, at Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco. He was positively one of the Good Guys!!!! Feinsteins statement lauded her late husbands charitable work for the people of the Himalayan region of Asia, citing the creation of the nonprofit American Himalayan Foundation as one of his proudest achievements., We have a hole in our hearts that will never be filled, Feinstein concluded. [14] Blum was the founder and chairman of the American Himalayan Foundation[15] and was Honorary Consul to Mongolia and Nepal. She said her husband, a wealthy San Francisco investor, left things better than he found them and was devoted to his family. He is also the former chairman of the University of California Board of Regents and a former chairman of the advisory board for the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. TAMPICO AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY - MUSEUM - FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY/RESEARCH CENTER 119 Main St., P. O. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Feinstein has represented California in the U.S Senate since 1992. Seema Mehta is a political writer who is covering the 2022 midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. [27][28], He donated to the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), Merced and Los Angeles (UCLA) and Sonoma State University, as well as Macalester College. RICHARD BLUM OBITUARY. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) said she and her husband, Paul, were heartbroken., A lifelong San Franciscan, Richard was a powerful force for good in our city, Pelosi said in a statement. Then you wish you were bored.. My wife was not particularly pleased, to put it mildly, Blum said. She also holds a MA degree in journalism from Stanford University. The senator issued a . David Kessler's top 4 tips for dealing with holiday grief. Clint married Linda Hudson on September 5, 1960. Feinstein announced that Blum had died, after a long battle with cancer, in a statement Monday morning that said . Feinstein announced her husband's death in a statement Monday morning that said . Longtime Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein's husband, Richard Blum, died Sunday evening following "a long battle with cancer," according to an announcement from Feinstein's office . Dick was born in Elizabeth, NJ on June 22, 1939 to the late Walter and Phyllis (Blum . He joined Sutro & Company, a San Francisco brokerage firm, at 23 and became a partner before he turned 30, by which time he was already a millionaire. When you carry a deep passion, what might seem like magical thinking can lead to something very real, he wrote, noting that, inspired by the Everest triumph, his passion evolved into finding ways to help the people of Nepal, Tibet and elsewhere in those mountain ranges improve their lives.. Exclusive: Stunning photos show Yosemite National Park under 15 feet of California snowpack hits highest level this century for March, could Warriors treating Andrew Wiggins with understandable patience, but his Bay Area bracing for cold front that will bring heavy rain, wind and James Wiseman, leadership genius? Results 1-20 of 379 View Record Name Birth Date Death Date Publication Place Relatives; To get better results, add more information such as Birth Info, Death Info or Locationeven a guess will help. Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. [4] At Sutro, Blum led a partnership that acquired Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for $8 million, selling it to Mattel four years later for $40 million. Will Bay Bridge go dark forever? She's written about sexual misconduct at UC and Stanford, the precarious state of accreditation at City College of San Francisco, and what happens when the UC Berkeley student government discovers a gay rights opponent in its midst. The lifelong San . And three, I get to pay to watch all this happen.. He was born on September 20, 1936, a son of the late. Dick Blum shares my belief that we all need to make a lifelong commitment to poverty alleviation, Clinton said at the time. We will remember him forever. Blum vigorously denied this claim. Over his four decades of marriage to Senator Feinstein, he took tremendous joy in supporting her pioneering leadership as a public servant. Nevertheless, he and Feinstein acted as intermediaries through the years between the Chinese leadership and the Dalai Lama. At the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the family fled to the heartland of Austria (Vienna and Bohemia) without the father, who served at the front. Several years ago, the senator initially failed to disclose that Blum owned more than $100,000 in Facebook shares until after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified to the Senate. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Feinstein has represented California in the U.S. Senate since 1992. Our dearest great grandpa, bother-in-law, uncle, great-uncle and friend to many. Blum, 83, was breaking for lunch just a few hours after landing in Israel on his private plane, gearing up for a jam-packed week of meetings and site visits. He was 86.. My husband was my partner and best friend for more than 40 years, Feinstein, 88, said in a statement. [11], Blum served on the boards of multiple companies, including Northwest Airlines Corporation,[12] Glenborough Realty Trust, Inc., Korea First Bank,[9] URS Corporation,[13] and National Education Corporation. About 2 in the afternoon, Id doze off for a while, Blum recalled. Originally from Miami, she holds a masters degree in journalism from USC. Richard J. Blum (1931-2022), a lifelong resident of Cleveland, died of complications of Parkinson's on January 22, 2022. He also served as co-chairman of the World Conference on Religion and Peace and was a founding member of National Geographics International Council of Advisors. CLEVELAND Richard J. In addition to his work in finance and global charity, Blum was a member of the Board of Regents at his alma mater for nearly two decades. Edit Search New Search. . My husband was my partner and best friend for more than 40 years. OBITUARY Richard Matthew Blum September 16, 1968 - April 12, 2021 IN THE CARE OF Witzke Funeral Homes Inc. Richard was born on September 16th, 1968 in Xenia Ohio. . In 2019, Blum provided an additional $12 million to endow a chair at the center. He was born on December 22, 1930 in Canton, Ohio, graduated from St. Louis University, and worked in Insurance and Investment Sales. Thank you for your very brave service to our country ! She speaks English and Spanish. Blum was 23 and fresh out of UC Berkeley with two business degrees in 1959 when he joined Sutro & Co., an investment brokerage firm that would make him a partner before he turned 30. He was born on September 20, 1936, a son of the late Herman A. and Catherine (Gibson) Blum. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed his motorcycle, hunting, Civil War re-enactments, and the annual Thanksgiving Interfaith Service at the Fort Herkimer Church. You have funeral questions, we have answers. He was 86. Roger Ressmeyer/CORBIS/VCG via Getty Images, Vivan Mehra/The The India Today Group via Getty Images, Eric Luse/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images, Michael Macor/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images. Richard Charles Blum (July 31, 1935 February 27, 2022) was an American investor and the husband of United States Senator Dianne Feinstein. Even so, Blum has been a favorite target of UC workers who have criticized his votes to cut the UC budget, which have led to layoffs, higher tuition and increasing dependence on out-of-state tuition. A 2020 state audit accused a regent, who turned out to be Blum, of improperly using his clout to help an applicant get into the elite public system. Family and friends must say goodbye to their beloved Richard H. Blum of East Herkimer, New York, who passed away at the age of 86, on January 13, 2023. Feinstein announced her husband's death in a statement Monday morning that said her "heart is broken today." Email:
[email protected] Twitter: @NanetteAsimov. They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel. Regent Sherry Lansing, who served alongside Blum for 20 years, praised his devotion to the university and said she will miss him greatly. Dick, we love you, well miss you and well continue to celebrate everything you accomplished during an amazing life., Speaking to The Times in 1990, Blum said he believed in pushing whatever happens to be my agenda to the max.. Send flowers. Emily was a USC Center for Health Journalism fellow in 2021 and a Renaissance Journalism Equity Reporting Project fellow in 2014. The first Burger King television commercial was broadcast on Miami's VHF station. But he accompanied climbers across a glacier to the never-tackled Tibetan side. He spent years advocating for the Himalayas and founded the American Himalayan Foundation. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) appears with husband Richard Blum at an election event in San Francisco in November 2018. He was a force of nature., Cecilia Estolano, the regents current chairperson, called Blum a deeply generous man who long served on the Board of Regents with distinction and profound impact.. He was the son of Louise (Hirsch) and Herbert Blum, who sold robes and raincoats. Obituaries | He was 86. "My heart is broken today," Feinstein said in a. She previously covered D.C. politics and California lawsuits for McClatchy's publications, including the Sacramento Bee, as a national real-time reporter. Daretown, N.J. Eileen M. Blum of Daretown passed away on January 1, 2023. 01.26.2022. He was a loyal Dartmouth graduate of the class of 1953 and a U.S. Marine Corps officer. My husband was my partner and best friend for more than 40 years. Richard "Rick" Lee Blum, 62, of Reisterstown, MD passed away on Friday, January 8th, 2021. Richard Blum, husband of California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, died Sunday after a long battle with cancer. There are no events at this time. "We are saddened to learn that longtime UC Regent Dick Blum passed away late Sunday, and . The death of an American investor and husband of United States Senator Dianne Feinstein Richard Blum came as a shock to his friends and family.