Oakland Obituaries: Gerald Block, Founder of A Learning Place and Crossroads Trading Company

Gerald Block, a resident of Oakland, was the founder of A Learning Place, an organization with centers in Oakland and Berkeley that helped children and adults with reading disorders. He also founded Crossroads Trading Co. Inc., a Berkeley-based clothing company with a store at 5901 College Ave., Oakland. Block passed away on June 19 at the age of 69.

Pete Nicholas, a resident of Petaluma, was born in Martinez and raised in Oakland, graduating from Fremont High School in 1947. He served for two years in the U.S. Army and then worked as an investigator for Alameda County and the U.S. Customs office in San Francisco. He was a member of MENSA and the International Sinatra Society. Nicholas passed away on May 28 at the age of 83.