cameo by B r i t t a n y F o u n t a i n photography by A l l i s o n P o t t e r everything’s coming up roses for Frank Block For more than 80 years, the Block family has contributed to Wilmington’s rich history in both industry and servant-hood; Frank Block is no exception. Frank commits his life to giving back to his hometown. Now retired from practicing law, he serves on the University of North Carolina Wilmington Board of Visitors (previously served on the UNCW Board of Trustees from 1995-2003) and is active in the local Jewish community. Most recently, Frank and his sister Mary Block Levine created the Charles and Hannah Block Distinguished Professorship in Jewish History at UNCW. Named after their mother and father, the professorship serves to provide UNCW students the opportunity to learn from distinguished faculty about a culture and history that is near and dear to the Blocks. Q&A Anything you want me to avoid asking? I always say I don’t have any secrets in my life … except maybe one or two (Frank laughs). If you had one superpower, what would it be? To make people live peacefully with one another. What book are you currently reading? I’m reading “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles. It’s an easy read; or if it’s not, there is something I’m missing. Would you ever consider moving away from Wilmington? Never. Wilmington has everything I want. I’ve lived in a few other places for school, but Wilmington will always be home. I was born in Wilmington. My family lived here and had a business here for a long time. You went to The Citadel? I started out going to UNC Chapel Hill and eventually gradu-ated from The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. I had a very checkered undergraduate degree. The second time I came home from college, my father handed me a letter that read as my acceptance letter to The Citadel. I remember saying, “Daddy, I didn’t apply to The Citadel.” But he told me I was going to the Army one way or another; so I went to The Citadel. That sounds intense. It was. I’m not sure if things are the same now as they were then, but the first year of being at The Citadel is no fun. I actually met another guy from Wilmington during those first few weeks, and we decided we weren’t going to put up with it anymore. We were going to quit and move out to New Mexico. What’s in New Mexico? We didn’t know; it’s just what we decided. Serendipitously, before it worked out for us to leave for New Mexico, a girl I knew told me that she had a friend she wanted me to meet. When I met her, she told me her name was Wendy Barshay and I told her mine was Frank Block. We both had a moment when we said, “I know who you are.” See, my uncle and her uncle were married to sisters. We knew who each other was from the family connection. And that was it; no more New Mexico. How old were you? Well, she was 17 and I was 19 years old at the time. Did you get the girl? I graduated from The Citadel on June 6, and Wendy and I got married June 14; we were married for 53 years before she passed away. If your life’s story were made into a movie, which actor would you choose to play your character? Michael Douglas. Yeah, I think he would do a good job. Had you always wanted to get into politics? No. I never really thought about it until I decided to run for Senate. 54 WBM october 2014
October 2014
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