Peter Blank, long-time Kiplinger editor, Club Silver Owl, 63

Peter Blank, 63, long-time editor of the Kiplinger Tax Letter and a Silver Owl member of the National Press Club, died Nov. 7 after a long battle with cancer. Peter’s wife, Georgeann, reports that Peter died peacefully at home, with her and their daughter, Elizabeth, at his side.

Beyond his journalistic accomplishments, Peter was well known for his athleticism around the Club. He was instrumental in starting the media softball league, and often referred to as the “commish.” He was a regular at the fitness center, exercising at noontime nearly every work day, either on the treadmill or using the Club as his base for multi-mile runs around the monuments (taking special pride in his endurance on Code Red days). Peter’s penchant for exiting the Club in skimpy shorts and shirtless led to the establishment of a stricter dress code for runners.

In recent years, Peter became an accomplished and decorated speed-walker, participating in the Senior Olympics and Senior Games around the country. A fierce competitor, his real joy came from his skill as a tactician putting together relay groups that could run to victory.

In the 27 months since he was diagnosed with cancer, Peter’s relentlessly upbeat nature buoyed the spirits of his friends. Peter joined the Club in 1984 and suspended his membership last year due to his illness. A native of Pennsylvania, Peter held a degree in civil engineering from Princeton University, a doctorate in law from Widener University School of Law and a master of laws in taxation from Georgetown University.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, Dec. 9, at 11 a.m. at Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home, Fairfax, Va.