Death of Prof. Alan Bloom

[valpopal]

It is with great regret that I pass along this sad note on my friend Prof. Alan Bloom's death. Alan was a good friend to many of us, including those on this forum, and an avid fan of Valpo sports with his wife Colleen and their children, who are in my prayers. He was clearly one of the most popular professors and most liked individuals on campus. I never saw him without a smile. I remember this summer when Alan enthusiastically narrated to me how he played some basketball with Lubos Barton who was in town. The death of someone so full of life and joy on a daily basis at such a young age is shocking news that I have yet to fully comprehend. 

[historyman]

This is really sad news for many at Valpo.

Biography
Professor Bloom joined the History Department in the fall of 2000 as a Lecturer in History and the Humanities. He completed his Ph.D. at Duke University in the spring of 2001 and became an Assistant Professor of History at Valparaiso in 2004.

His course offerings include Colonial America, the American Revolution, the Civil War and Reconstruction, History of Chicago, African American History, U.S. History through Sports, History of U.S. Immigration, and U.S. History through Film.

He has written essays on the history of homelessness, NIMBY movements,  Malcolm X, and urban renewal in Valparaiso. He is currently writing a manuscript entitled: 'Where Else Can They Go?': Homelessness in Early Chicago, 1833-1871.

Professor Bloom is the faculty adviser for the history honors society, Phi Alpha Theta.  He also serves as Co-chair of VALPO Reads a Book!

Professor Bloom's hobbies include: swimming, walking, and cleaning his office tomorrow.

Valparaiso University to Offer Academic Enrichment Camp for Elementary and Middle School Students

May 9, 2013

Valparaiso University's Office of Undergraduate Admission and Summer Global Leadership Institute announce an exciting new academic camp for elementary and middle school students: Summer Smart, Summer Fun.

"Summer Smart, Summer Fun will provide a wonderful opportunity for elementary and middle school students to enjoy hands-on learning experiences that are fun, engaging and educational," said Alan Bloom, director of Summer Smart, Summer Fun and associate professor of history at Valparaiso University.

Each summer, Valpo offers a variety of athletics-based camps for local students. Summer Smart, Summer Fun expands the University's camp offerings to include a two-week academic enrichment camp for students entering first through sixth grades. The camp will run Monday through Friday from June 17 to June 28. Depending on their age, students will enter programs based in global citizenship or world exploration.

Global Citizenship is a half-day program (9 a.m. – noon) that will admit up to 40 students entering first and second grades (Level 1) and entering third and fourth grades (Level 2). Campers will explore cultures, languages and customs from around the world. This fun and adventurous program will be a hands-on experience that will get kids moving and learning. Guest speakers will share their culture, and students will create art and individual projects tailored to reflect countries from around the world. Cost for the two-week program is $125.

The Explorers Program is a full-day camp (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.) designed to provide up to 40 students entering fifth and sixth grades an opportunity to explore the world around them. Special focus in the program will be on science, multimedia and creativity. Campers will conduct experiments, go on scavenger hunts, design short media presentations and more. Cost for the two-week program is $225.

For more information or to apply for a spot in Summer Smart, Summer Fun, please contact Bloom at alan.bloom@valpo.edu. Space is limited on a first-come, first-served basis.

[vu72]

Terribly sorry to see this.  What was the cause of death?

[valporun]

vu72, I don't know exactly, but in talking with Ryan Moore, the head track coach, Professor Bloom had some pancreatic issues recently. I'm going to see if there is an obituary on the NWI Times or Post Tribune website, and try to post links here, and maybe get some information from those.

EDIT: Just looked at both news websites, and neither one had anything as of today. I will check again tomorrow. Many prayers to be voiced for his family and those he influenced around campus, the community, and the world, as he knew it.

[valpopal]

Alan was in the hospital for pancreatitis and died suddenly. The exact cause of death is still being determined. Please keep Colleen and the three boys in your prayers.

It is difficult to think about being at the ARC for any event and not seeing Alan there with the family. The university has been hit hard in recent years: Alan Bloom, Jane Bello-Brunson, Gus Sponberg, Virginia Shingleton, Bill Marion, etc. All were influential and inspiring individuals who helped define the heart of this campus.

[valpopal]

The memorial service for Alan will be on Monday (10/14) at 10:45am in the Chapel of the Resurrection. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Hilltop Neighborhood House or Habitat for Humanity.

[a3uge]

Bloom was a great professor. One of my favorites at Valpo. He will be missed.

[agibson]

The memorial service for Alan will be on Monday (10/14) at 10:45am in the Chapel of the Resurrection.

Just after chapel, and, unfortunately, while I'm teaching.  But, what can you do?

This is a huge loss for the community, and quite startling.  I feel it quite personally. 

I subbed as a basketball coach for Alan last Friday, and at the time he thought (or at least I thought, based on emails exchanged) that he might even be back this week.

Alan seemed to always have big ideas for the campus and the community, and often enough (e.g. the academic summer camps mentioned above, which my son quite enjoyed - and I hope can still go forward) found a way to put them into action.

It will be very strange indeed to go to a basketball or soccer game and not to have Alan sitting with Holly Singh, and their kids swarming around (OK - most of the swarming was Alan's kids - which I hope still continues).

He'll be deeply missed.

[swiftmutiny]

I'm in one of his classes this semester... What a devastating turn of events. He was a stand-up human being and will be missed dearly.

[valporun]

I checked both newspaper websites again, and there are still no obituaries on either site for Professor Bloom.

[agibson]

Here's an obituary.

http://www.angelcrestinc.com/obituary_pages/obit_01.html

Alan Bloom, age 49, of Valparaiso, passed away suddenly on October 9, 2013.  He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Colleen Seguin; his beloved boys, Zeke, Jin, and Kuo; mother and step-father, Audrey and Gerry Gottlieb; sister, Sandi (Louis) Schlager; brother, H. Gary (Hilary) Bloom; step-sister, Carol Gottlieb (Tom Bolan); nephews David Bloom and Morgan Schlager; niece, Simone Bloom; cousin Alison Sherman (Sandy Rubin); dear friend, T.C. (Christina) Foote; godchildren Katie and David Mercer-Taylor, mother-in-law Mary Ellen Seguin; brother-in-law, Michael Seguin; and many variations of Murphy relatives whom he greatly enjoyed, as well as countless friends, and his adored students.  He was pre-deceased by his father, David Bloom.
Alan was educated in the public schools of Metuchen, NJ, at the University of California, Santa Barbara (B.A., History of Public Policy), and at Duke University (M.A., Ph.D., American History).  Since 1997, he was on the faculty at Valparaiso University where he taught an astoundingly eclectic array of American history classes as well as first-year humanities courses.  Alan taught his heart out every single day and treasured his students and the many VU alums with whom he maintained contact.  They meant the world to him. He was the chair of the Department of History and former chair of the Diversity Concerns Committee.  He served as the adviser for the University chapter of Habitat for Humanity for ten years.  He co-directed the University's Summer Global Leadership Institute for high school students, and in summer, 2013 initiated the Summer Smart, Summer Fun camp for children.  He also was heavily involved in myriad other University initiatives.
A devoted community member, Alan lent his considerable energies to many civic organizations, coaching youth sports for the YMCA and the Boys and Girls Club, working with the Valparaiso City Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, and co-directing Valpo Reads a Book, to name just a few of his activities.  He served on the Mayor's Human Relations Council, whose work was particularly near and dear to his heart.  Alan was a passionate, loving, wildly inquisitive person, a smart, discerning sports fan, and a world-class talker and debater who disdained small-minded people and small ideas and loved books and lakes, pizza and islands, history and college basketball.  He was an historian with a profound concern to right social inequities and to use his studies of and teaching on homelessness and race relations to make the world a little bit better.  Above all else, he was a champion among spouses, his wife's best friend, the greatest person she will ever know, and in his most important role, the world's absolute best Daddy, who spent many happy hours with his boys in Valparaiso's parks.  Alan Bloom loved abundantly and was abundantly loved.
A Celebration of Alan's Life will be held at Valparaiso University's Chapel at 10:45 on Monday, October 14, 2013.  In lieu of flowers, Alan's family requests donations to Hilltop House or Habitat for Humanity.

[valpopal]

I was pleased that Alan was honored by Mark LaBarbera at the beginning of the introductions at the open basketball practice for season ticket holders Thursday evening, and that he requested a round of applause for Alan, who applauded many times at the ARC over the years.

In his comments, Mark spoke about Alan being present at all the basketball games with Colleen and their three sons. Everyone always recognized Alan was devoted to the boys and adored them. He appreciated that I took photographs of them in the stands at the games. In fact, when we were at the Popcorn Festival last month, Alan saw I had my camera and asked me to take some photos of the boys involved in one of the amusement activities. I took a half dozen photos of the boys, but without Alan being aware of it, I also snapped one last picture that included him in the frame, the following image which I think displayed nicely his enthusiasm for being a father:

[agibson]

_Lots_ of people in the chapel today.  A thousand?  Two thousand?  Eight speakers?