Photographer Bill Greenblatt dies; his photos were a fixture in St. Louis

Photo Journalist William (Bill) Greenblatt passed away Dec. 15, 2024. He was a member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.

Greenblatt has worked for United Press International (UPI) and was the official photographer for the St. Louis Fire Department. He was at most St. Louis Cardinals games preserving their history as well as other St. Louis sports events. He has photographed University of Missouri events, and worked for many political figures on both sides of the aisle.

He was also the photographer of the famous photo of Mark and Patricia McCloskey with guns drawn in their front yard during a June 28, 2020, protest.

Here is the notice his family posted on Facebook to announce his passing:

Bill Greenblatt is survived by his wife Barb, and their children, Mitchell, Ethan and Lilly.

His Funeral arrangements will be handled by Berger Memorial Chapel.

Obituary:

Berger Memorial Chapel

Beloved husband of Barbara Greenblatt; dear father and father-in-law of Mitchell (Laura), Lilly (fiancé Adam Lopata) and Ethan Greenblatt; dear son of the late Harold and the late Lois Greenblatt; dear brother of the late Carla Argetsinger; dear uncle of Amy Argetsinger and Beth Buck; dear brother-in-law, uncle, cousin and friend to many.

Bill was an accomplished photojournalist in the St. Louis Community and was involved in multiple civic and charitable organizations.

Funeral service Wednesday, December 18, 10 am at Congregation Shaare Emeth, 11645 Ladue Road at Ballas. No visitation prior to service. Interment United Hebrew Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions preferred to The Backstoppers or the Salvation Army.

For more information: CLICK HERE.

Statements and Comments about Bill Greenblatt:

Rob and Sally Rains, STLSportsPage.com:

This week we got the sad news that our friend Bill Greenblatt has passed away. He had been battling cancer and as recent as Nov. 6, told us, “I’m doing well now, all I gotta do is get my hair back” so we, along with many others were surprised to hear the news. The last time we looked he had more than 700 comments on the Facebook post announcing his death– the expressions of sympathy were quite a tribute to him.

He was very well-known and liked. If you didn’t know Biill Greenblatt, you’ve seen many of the photos he took. In fact, for the first several years of STLSportsPage.com he supported us by supplying us with photos at no charge— until UPI stepped in. Besides being our friend, he was our photographer, Rainbows for Kids photographer, and he did the photos for B.J. and Karen’s wedding. Rob worked with him for at least 40 years in our jobs covering the Cardinals and Sally served with him on the St. Louis Media History Foundation.

The photo at the top of the page was taken at our house and the smile on his face was a permanent fixture. So many people thought he would be a permanent fixture in St. Louis– we saw him at almost every event we attended, especially Busch Stadium and the Cardinals Winter Warm-Up.He will be missed by many.

Governor-Elect Mike Kehoe:

“Incredibly sad to hear of the passing of William Greenblatt today — a talented photographer who spent his career capturing St. Louis and the heroes of the St. Louis Fire Department. Claudia and I are proud to call Bill a friend. Our prayers are with his family and friends.”

Frank Cusumano, KSDK

“Just want to write we lost a great man in the sports community. Bill Greenblatt passed away at age 70. He was a Hall of Fame photographer and one of the true characters of his generation. Everyone knew Bill and everyone loved Bill.”

Andy Karandzieff, Crown Candy

Oh no He will be missed terribly at Crown Candy. Bill was such a great man

STL has lost a good one Prayers to the whole family

Greater St. Louis, Inc.

“We were saddened to hear of the passing of legendary photographer William Greenblatt. Bill was a constant presence at our events, and we considered him part of the Greater St. Louis, Inc. team. Our thoughts go out to his family.”

MSD Project Clear

“It is with great sadness that we share the passing of William Greenblatt, whose remarkable talent as a photographer captured the spirit and progress of MSD Project Clear over the years.”