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Saturday, June 07, 2003

By Carmen J. Lee, Post-Gazette Education Writer

Whether volunteering to care for abandoned and abused animals or hopping a plane to Guatemala with his daughter to help her adopt a child, Jacques Loeb Blum demonstrated love and concern for others.

"When I had prostate cancer 1 1/2 years ago, he was there for me," said childhood friend Marc Kimelman of Oakland. "He was always there."

Mr. Blum, 70, of Point Breeze, who died of lung cancer Wednesday at UPMC Shadyside, was vice president of M. Rom and Sons, a food brokerage firm owned by his father-in-law.

Before going into the Army during the Korean War, Mr. Blum, a native of Squirrel Hill, worked at Gimbels. His father, the late Jacques Loeb Blum Sr., was president of Gimbels' Pittsburgh stores and vice president of Saks Fifth Avenue. He died when Mr. Blum was 16. After the war, Mr. Blum went into business with his father-in-law.

Throughout his life, Mr. Blum had a love of animals. He shared with his father an enjoyment of horseback riding and won blue ribbons as a youth for his skill.

He started his own pet supply company, Jack Blum Sales, about a decade ago and was a regular volunteer at the Animal Friends shelter in the Strip District. He and his wife, Annette, maintained a steady flow of cats and dogs at home, reaching a maximum of five at one time.

He also was an avid golfer and a car enthusiast.

"My mother always talked about how at the age of 3, he knew the name and maker of every automobile on the road," said his sister, Constance Marstine of Squirrel Hill.

But friends and family members said what really set Mr. Blum apart was his compassion.

"During Thanksgiving, he would buy turkeys at the grocery store, go to the poor sections of town and hand them out to people he thought needed them," said his daughter, Cathy of Phoenix.

When, as a single woman, Cathy Blum decided last year to adopt a 5-month-old boy from Guatemala, Mr. Blum was by her side in the Central American country, helping her navigate its adoption process.

"He adored his family," said Annette, his wife of nearly 51 years. "He adored his daughter and his grandson."

In addition his involvement with Animal Friends, Mr. Blum was a member of the Concordia Club and the Westmoreland County Country Club.

In addition to his wife, daughter and sister Marstine, Mr. Blum is survived by another sister, Janet Johnson of Mount Pleasant, and his grandson, Justin Luis.

Visitation will be from 9:30 to 11 a.m. tomorrow in Rodef Shalom Temple, 4905 Fifth Ave., Shadyside, where services will immediately follow at 11 a.m. Interment will be in the West View Cemetery of Rodef Shalom Congregation. Arrangements are by Ralph Schugar Chapel, Shadyside.