▁because ▁of ▁his ▁hect ic ▁work , ▁Blo ch ▁gave ▁up ▁on ▁physics , ▁he ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁community ▁of ▁scient ists . ▁Among ▁his ▁close ▁friends ▁were ▁phys ic ists ▁N iels ▁Bo hr , ▁Robert ▁O ppen heimer ▁and ▁Felix ▁Blo ch . ▁ ▁Blo ch ▁was ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁intellect ▁and ▁knowledge . ▁He ▁spoke ▁six teen ▁languages , ▁was ▁an ▁av id ▁ch ess ▁player , ▁and ▁was ▁well - vers ed ▁in ▁the ▁language ▁of ▁poetry . ▁Many ▁remarked ▁that ▁his ▁appearance ▁suggested ▁art ▁rather ▁than ▁science . ▁ ▁While ▁in ▁his ▁late ▁f ift ies , ▁Blo ch ▁had ▁plans ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁physics . ▁However , ▁he ▁fell ▁ill ▁while ▁on ▁a ▁trip ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁and ▁died ▁in ▁Monte fi ore ▁Hospital ▁in ▁The ▁Bron x ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 5 9 . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁trag ic ▁coinc idence ▁that ▁Blo ch ▁died ▁just ▁as ▁the ▁twenty - fif th ▁anni versary ▁of ▁the ▁Daniel ▁Sie ff ▁Research ▁Institute ▁was ▁being ▁celebrated ▁in ▁Re hov ot . ▁ ▁Family ▁Blo ch ▁married ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁Dr . ▁Bron ia ▁B ied ermann , ▁an ▁o ph th alm ologist , ▁who ▁studied ▁medicine ▁in ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Prag ue . ▁He ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁had ▁three ▁daughters , ▁Riv ka ▁( R eb e cca ) ▁and ▁the ▁tw ins ▁Nav ah ▁and ▁Na omi . ▁Riv ka ▁Wein sh all ▁holds ▁a ▁B A