Burton Block

Respected Cattle Dealer

Burton Block, 83, died August 16 in the farmhouse where he lived with his loving wife, Alyce Cremin Block, for the last 46 years of their 55-year marriage. Born in Shelton, on September 20, 1923, to Benjamin and Adelaide Block, Mr Block attended the Shelton public schools.

Mr Block is survived by three daughters, Shirley Berliner and her husband, Jim, of Newtown, Beverly Lewis of Monroe and her partner, Previn Patel, and Trudy Meyer-Schaeffer and her husband, Gene, of Weston; a son, Daniel Block and his wife, Theresa, of Monroe; three sisters, Cornelia Block of Shelton, Millicent Fineburg of Florida, and Annabelle Temkin of Pennsylvania; and his pride and joy, 13 grandchildren, Aaron Lewis and his wife, Jeanne, Ellen Lewis, Jesse Schaeffer, Jessica Block, Rachael Berliner, Michael Schaeffer, Katie Berliner, Sarah Block, Sam Meyer, David Berliner, Nikko Confortini, Amanda Block, and Jake Benjamin Block.

Mr Block enjoyed farming and livestock. They were both his livelihood and hobby. By the time he was 14, he was already working as a cattle dealer for his father. At this young age, he assessed, purchased, and transported cattle from farms in Shelton, Newtown, and Monroe to his father’s farm in Shelton. At the age of 23, in 1946, he went into business for himself and bought 80 to 100 head of cattle a week. Mr Block had such a sense of cattle. He won almost every challenge to judge an animal’s weight, often within one or two pounds, even though it might weigh as much as 1,500 or 1,800 pounds. He was a member of Connecticut Farm Bureau and a licensed cattle dealer since 1943. He was a longtime member of the US Packers and Stockyards Association.

 Mr Block was an icon in the field and very well-known and respected by all. A loving family man, he will long be remembered as an honest and fair cattle dealer in this region and throughout the Northeast.

Mr Block loved to travel with his family in his motor home. Farm shows and agricultural state fairs were his favorite destination. The family returned from every trip with a one-of-a-kind, unbelievable story. Spending time with his family was his other hobby.

More recently, the Blocks spent many weekends in their summer home near Albany, N.Y.

He was a longtime member of the Adath Israel Synagogue in Newtown.

Funeral services were held August 17 from the Abraham L. Green and Son Funeral Home, Fairfield. Interment followed at Riverside Cemetery in Shelton.

Donations can be made in his memory to Adath Israel Synagogue Building Fund, PO Box 623, Newtown CT 06470, or to the Burton Block Fund at Yale University Toward Endocrine Cancer Research, PO Box 7611, New Haven CT 06519.

The Newtown Bee        August 24, 2007