186:. They worked closely together for 43 years. From making ice cream to scooping ice cream, the brothers shared in the hard work of getting the company off the ground; even their mother chipped in, helping to create the syrup for the coffee flavored ice cream. Blake was chairman of the company until 1979, when he sold it to
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Blake continued to own shares in
Friendly's, but took a hands-off approach with regard to its corporate affairs. However, the company's significant debt load at the end of the 1990s, coupled with what he regarded as poor management, led him to purchase shares in the company that resulted in his
290:
Blake's first marriage was to Della Deming. Together, they had two children: Benson P. Blake and Nancy
Yanakakis. They later divorced, and his subsequent marriage to Setsu Matsukata also ended in divorce. His third marriage was to Helen Davis, and they remained married until his death. He
198:
becoming the largest shareholder (with a 12% stake). He came into conflict with Smith about the direction of
Friendly's and feuded with him publicly. At one point, Blake and his brother were not on speaking terms, and Curtis even blamed Blake for meddling in the company's affairs in an
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251:'s School of Law (he had donated $ 250,000 for it in 1979). The Blake Student Center at Northfield Mount Hermon School is also named after him. He donated $ 2 million to
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for US$ 375 million. The company's name was shortened to simply "Friendly's". The signature beverage was the "Fribble", also known as the Awful Awful.
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150:; their mother, Ethel (Stewart) Blake, was a car enthusiast who inspired her sons' interest in vehicles. Blake was raised in
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and Hollis, who died at the age of two) and one sister (Betsy Melvin). Their father, Herbert
Prestley Blake, was employed by
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235:. In 2006, he was a minority shareholder in Friendly's. On May 1, 2011, Brigantine Media published Blake's autobiography,
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270:. It was auctioned two years later for approximately US$ 2.1 million. He donated his other property in Somers to
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239:, which describes the early years of Friendly Ice Cream Company as well as Blake's shareholder suit.
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Blake and Curtis founded the
Friendly's national restaurant chain in the summer of 1935, during the
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126:(November 26, 1914 – February 11, 2021) was an American restaurateur. He was a co-founder of the
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A Friendly Life: The
Autobiography of S. Prestley Blake Co-Founder of Friendly Ice Cream Corp
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450:"Friendly's co-founder S. Prestley Blake nears 100th birthday; Springfield to celebrate"
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in 2006 and had
Wilbraham Hall renamed as Herbert P. Blake Hall in honor of his father.
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for approximately US$ 164 million. It was sold once more, in 1988 to entrepreneur
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800:"S. Prestley Blake 'a giant of a man' remembered for drive, energy by wife, Helen"
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302:. He was 106 and he suffered from respiratory failure prior to his death.
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https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-boston-globe/20130825/283940290332243
399:"S. Prestley Blake, a founder of Friendly's ice cream chain, dies at 106"
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Blake died on
February 11, 2021, of a gastric blockage at a hospital in
208:. The two brothers ultimately reconciled before Curtis' death in 2019.
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716:"Replica of Jefferson's Monticello sells at auction for $ 2.1M"
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after one year and moved back to
Springfield in order to start
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747:"S. Prestley Blake, co-founder of Friendly's, dead at 106"
827:"A Jefferson follower's $ 7.5m declaration of admiration"
545:"A Friendly Life: The Autobiography of S. Prestley Blake"
342:"S. Prestley Blake, a Founder of Friendly's, Dies at 106"
367:"Friendly's Co-Founder, S. Prestley Blake, Dies At 106"
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779:. Springfield, Massachusetts. September 21, 2006
247:The S. Prestley Blake Law Center is the home of
910:Businesspeople from Springfield, Massachusetts
142:, on November 26, 1914. He had two brothers (
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432:"Friendly's and its founders are aging well"
915:Businesspeople from Jersey City, New Jersey
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569:Blake, S. Prestley; Farnham, Alan (2011).
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483:. Marquis Who's Who. February 16, 1995.
340:Slotnik, Daniel E. (February 12, 2021).
825:MacQuarrie, Brian (December 25, 2014).
598:Fund Raiser's Guide to Private Fortunes
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130:(known more commonly as "Friendly's").
900:Western New England University alumni
890:Northfield Mount Hermon School alumni
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7:
895:Trinity College (Connecticut) alumni
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278:. The college in turn created the
280:Blake Center for Freedom and Faith
262:in 2014 by constructing a copy of
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885:Businesspeople from Massachusetts
798:Kinney, Jim (February 12, 2021).
18:American businessman (1914–2021)
880:Businesspeople from Connecticut
211:In 1980, Blake earned a PhD at
249:Western New England University
156:Northfield Mount Hermon School
148:Standard Electric Time Company
128:Friendly Ice Cream Corporation
105:Friendly Ice Cream Corporation
1:
773:"Della Blake Obituary (2006)"
905:Quinnipiac University people
806:. Springfield, Massachusetts
369:. WBZ-TV. February 12, 2021
266:to modern-day standards in
213:Western New England College
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158:. He went on to study at
152:Springfield, Massachusetts
870:American men centenarians
694:tribunedigital-thecourant
493:– via Google Books.
480:Who's who in America 1996
174:with his brother Curtis.
630:"S. Prestley Blake '34"
140:Jersey City, New Jersey
49:Jersey City, New Jersey
875:American restaurateurs
664:springfieldcollege.edu
618:– via google.ca.
505:"Unfriendly maneuvers"
124:Stewart Prestley Blake
35:Stewart Prestley Blake
258:Blake celebrated his
215:, and one in 1982 at
164:Hartford, Connecticut
575:. Brigantine Media.
219:. He held honorary
753:. February 12, 2021
660:"Untitled Document"
531:brigantinemedia.com
276:Hillsdale, Michigan
268:Somers, Connecticut
253:Springfield College
217:Springfield College
188:The Hershey Company
696:. October 17, 2006
527:"Brigantine Media"
456:. October 2, 2014.
346:The New York Times
295:in November 2014.
229:Quinnipiac College
138:Blake was born in
103:Co-founder of the
640:on August 8, 2017
549:Afriendlylife.com
272:Hillsdale College
121:
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92:Years active
60:February 11, 2021
45:November 26, 1914
25:S. Prestley Blake
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184:Great Depression
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237:A Friendly Life
192:Donald N. Smith
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166:. However, he
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154:, and attended
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68:Stuart, Florida
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64:(aged 106)
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722:. June 1, 2016
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690:"In Our Towns"
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601:. Taft. 1987.
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836:. Retrieved
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810:February 12,
808:. Retrieved
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755:. Retrieved
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668:the original
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638:the original
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373:February 12,
371:. Retrieved
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349:. Retrieved
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243:Philanthropy
236:
233:Elms College
210:
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144:Curtis Blake
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115:Curtis Blake
87:Restaurateur
62:(2021-02-11)
15:
865:2021 deaths
860:1914 births
168:dropped out
76:Nationality
854:Categories
306:References
293:turned 100
264:Monticello
172:Friendly's
134:Early life
84:Occupation
41:1914-11-26
554:April 30,
416:April 30,
411:0190-8286
260:centenary
117:(brother)
111:Relatives
95:1935–1979
79:American
838:May 13,
700:June 6,
644:June 6,
614:June 6,
511:June 6,
674:May 5,
605:
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231:, and
178:Career
70:, U.S.
51:, U.S.
840:2015
812:2021
785:2021
759:2021
728:2021
702:2018
676:2015
646:2018
616:2018
603:ISBN
577:ISBN
556:2017
513:2018
485:ISBN
418:2021
407:ISSN
375:2021
353:2021
57:Died
31:Born
274:in
221:PhD
202:in
162:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.