S. Prestley Blake, who brought Fribbles along with friendly, affordable dining to New England, dies at 106 By Joseph P. Kahn Globe Correspondent,Updated February 12, 2021, 7:30 p.m. Email to a Friend Mr. Blake (right) with his brother Curtis at the Friendly's company conference center in West Springfield in 2001.NANCY PALMIERI At the dawn of this century, S. Prestley Blake was in his mid-80s and comfortably retired. A cofounder of the Friendly Ice Cream restaurant chain, he was a multimillionaire, avid yachtsman, world traveler, and deep-pocketed philanthropist. On his retirement to-do list: building a $7.5 million replica of Thomas Jeffersonâs Monticello, on property near his Connecticut estate.