Bruce David Rosenblum, 64, of Somerville, Massachusetts, and Phippsburg, Maine, passed away in the early morning of December 13, 2023, after living with ALS for 6.5 years. Bruce was a devoted and loving step-father and father to Jeff (Melissa) and Aaron, an adoring grandfather to Evan, Hannah, and Caleb, and a loving husband of 29 years to Irina Golfman Rosenblum. Bruce is survived by his mother Sandra Rosenblum and sister Laurie Rosenblum.
In 1981, Bruce graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in English and History. He then travelled around the world for 27 months, including a computer consulting stint in India and 6 months on an Israeli Kibbutz. Upon return, Bruce settled in the Boston area and started his career as a software developer, working for Turning Point Software where he eventually rose to the position of Vice President. Bruce and Irina married in 1994. In their early years they traveled through Western Europe, including their honeymoon in Sicily, toured the Caribbean Islands, skied in Colorado and New England, and enjoyed spending time with friends and family. After Aaron’s birth in 1997 Bruce joined Inera, the company Irina started in 1992, to help Irina manage the business and take care of the newborn. Bruce liked this new arrangement so much that instead of staying at Inera for the planned 12 months, he settled in and became a lifer. Under Bruce’s tireless guidance, Inera became a leading developer of tools and services in the scientific, medical, and academic publishing fields, and Bruce rose to be recognized worldwide as a leading authority on publishing tools and workflows.
Bruce’s first career as a photojournalist started in high school and continued through college and while traveling the world, and it has inspired Aaron to follow in his father’s footsteps.
Bruce was diagnosed with ALS in 2017. Since the diagnosis he dedicated his time and energy to advancing ALS research by participating in every clinical trial and study he could be accepted into, lecturing to trial coordinators and medical students on ALS patient perspectives, creating ALS resources for publications including UpToDate, and many other forms of ALS advocacy. Bruce loved his care team at Massachusetts General Hospital and, in turn, they loved his dedication and genuine interest in their research. Bruce found the intersection of his professional work and ALS advocacy both fascinating and stimulating.
Bruce continued his professional work for Wiley (the new owner of Inera) and his involvement in advocacy way past the point at which most people would have decided to quit. He participated in a Wiley team meeting on the morning of Thursday, December 7, and was scheduled to talk to medical school students that evening. When his oxygen saturation plummeted while his heart rate and blood pressure skyrocketed on Thursday afternoon, he asked for the talk to be cancelled and, operating his wheelchair with the gyroscopic glasses, drove himself to the nearest emergency room around the corner. Bruce died less than 5 days later at his beloved Massachusetts General Hospital where he was surely happy to have his entire care team visit.
Donations in Bruce’s honor can be made to Compassionate Care ALS, an organization that stood shoulder to shoulder with us through the challenging ALS journey, and the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Funeral Services will be held at 1 pm on Sunday December 17, 2023, at Beth El Temple Center, 2 Concord Ave, Belmont, MA. The interment at Amos Lodge in Wakefield to follow. The family will be observing Shiva at Beth El Temple Center on Sunday evening from 6:30 until 9 pm, and on Monday from 7 pm until 9 pm, with service on both nights. Shiva will continue in Bruce and Irina’s home on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday with visitation hours between 6 pm and 8 pm, with an informal service at 7:00pm.
