Regent Richard Blum Dies

The LA Times has this obituary: Richard Blum, a San Francisco businessman, philanthropist and the husband of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, died late Sunday, the senator’s office announced Monday morning. “My heart is broken today,” Feinstein said in a statement. “My husband was my partner and best friend for more than 40 years. He was by my side for the good times and for the challenges. I am going to miss him terribly.” Blum died at the family home after a long battle with cancer, the senator’s office said. He was 86.

Blum was chairman of equity investment management firm Blum Capital Partners. 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."

“As a role model, Dick was second to none, and I think his compassion and devotion to the people of the Himalayan region may prove to be his most enduring legacy,” she said.

Feinstein has represented California in the U.S. Senate since 1992. She and Blum married in 1980 when she was mayor of San Francisco.

“Dick was incredibly devoted to his family, particularly his daughters and his grandchildren, and my heart is with them and everyone who Dick encountered,” Feinstein said. “He was the type of man who really replaced his divot in life, who left things better than he found them. His enormous generosity is an inspiration for so many of us."A longtime friend of the Dalai Lama, Blum was an honorary consul of Nepal, the senator’s office said. He also founded the Blum Center for Developing Economies at UC Berkeley, which is focused on addressing global poverty.

For nearly two decades, Blum served as a member of the University of California Board of Regents and was chairman emeritus of the board ...

Full story at https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-02-28/richard-blum-husband-

of-sen-dianne-feinstein-dies-at-86.

From the UCLA newsroom: As part of UCLA’s commitment to build community and forge connections with Westwood Village, the university will host its inaugural First Thursdays event on Thursday, March 3, on Broxton Avenue.

The monthly series, developed in partnership with the Westwood Village Improvement Association, will feature daytime and evening events for students, staff, faculty, alumni and members of the local community designed to highlight the village’s attractions and revitalize the historic link between the campus and the neighborhood.

“Westwood Village has always been such an important part of the UCLA community, and the village was an important part of my experience as a student,” said Mary Osako, UCLA’s vice chancellor for strategic communications. “With the incredible challenges the pandemic has wrought over the past two years, we know so many businesses have struggled in our community. First Thursdays are a new way for us to support them, encouraging Bruins to spend a wonderful day and evening in the village while at the same time supporting the business community and its growth in ways we hope can have a real economic impact.”

The events, to be held on the first Thursday of each month, kick off in the afternoon at the village’s bustling Westwood farmers market, where Bruins can shop for locally sourced foods and connect with UCLA-operated booths offering information and mentorship opportunities. In the evening, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., UCLA presents a series of community-building activities involving interactive installations, music, food and giveaways. Attendees will also receive coupon books for Westwood and campus businesses. The series will run through June...

Full release at https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-first-thursdays-debuts-inwestwood.

Note: It's worth a reminder that a rush to normality produced some unfortunate results last fall before Omicron shut things down again:

http://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2021/11/the-pauley-crowd-eventunmasked.html

http://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2021/11/crowds-without-controls-are-notwise.html