RICHARD BLOCH, 78 Co-founder of H & amp;R Block dies of heart failure

He aggressively fought off cancer and became an advocate for cancer patients.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Richard Bloch, a passionate crusader for cancer patients and co-founder of the world's largest tax preparation company, H & amp;R Block Inc., died of heart failure Wednesday morning at his home.
He was 78.
Bloch and his brother, Henry, relaunched a small family bookkeeping service in 1955 as H & amp;R Block, specializing in what then was the newly emerging field of income tax preparation.
Although Henry Bloch may be more widely associated with the company because of the advertising campaigns in which he appeared, Richard Bloch is credited as a driving force in the company's rapid expansion in the 1960s and later.
"Dick was a true entrepreneur, and his energy and talents helped create the path that makes H & amp;R Block the professional and accessible company it is today," said Mark Ernst, the company's current chairman and chief executive.
"His personal integrity and commitment to helping people remain an important part of our company's culture," Ernst said.
Henry Bloch could not be reached for comment Wednesday. A spokesman said he was occupied with funeral arrangements.
In addition to his business accomplishments, Richard Bloch in his later years touched tens of thousands more lives through his courageous personal battles with cancer, and his tireless advocacy for cancer patients.
Fought off cancer
Bloch was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 1978, and was told he had three months to live. But he fought the disease and was declared cured after two years of aggressive therapy. He was diagnosed in 1989 with colon cancer, which he also fought aggressively and survived.
Bloch always attributed his successful fight to the support of his family, finding the right skilled medical help and keeping a positive attitude.
Bloch returned briefly to Block as chairman after fighting his lung cancer, but sold his interest in the enterprise in 1982 to become a full-time crusader for cancer patients everywhere.
Bloch and his wife, Annette, who survives him, founded one of the first cancer hot lines in the U.S. in 1980, which has since logged more than 125,000 calls from newly diagnosed cancer patients. The Blochs also founded the R.A. Bloch Cancer Foundation Inc., plus the R.A. Bloch Cancer Management Center and the R.A. Bloch Cancer Support Center at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Model centers
The centers have become models for a national network of more than 100 similar organizations across the United States that provide medical, moral and other support for cancer patients and their families.
Bloch was born Feb. 15, 1926, in Kansas City, Mo. He attended Bryant Elementary School, Southwest High School and the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a bachelor's degree in economics at age 19.
Funeral services are scheduled for Friday.