Secretary of State Antony Blinken's father, Donald, a former U.S. diplomat, investment banker and contemporary art collector, passed away Thursday aged 96.

Blinken announced his father's death in a series of tweets. He attends the annual U.N. General Assembly.

"My family lost a parent and grandparent, a source of love and inspiration — my father Donald Blinken," Blinken tweeted.

Donald Blinken died peacefully at his home in East Hampton, Long Island, a State Department spokesman said.

Antony Blinken has canceled several events he was scheduled to attend at the U.N. General Assembly Thursday night because of his father's deteriorating health, and his schedule Friday will be adjusted to accommodate family commitments, according to a State Department spokesman.

Donald Blinken served as chairman of the State University of New York from 1978 to 1990 and was U.S. ambassador to Hungary from 1994 to 1997 under the Clinton administration.