Dr. Barry Sterling Bronson

Dr. Barry Bronson was born on July 19, 1939, to Elsie and Irving Bronson in Detroit, Michigan. He passed away on February 10, 2026, in San Francisco at the age of 86.

A graduate of Mumford High School and the University of Michigan, he met his future wife and partner in all things, Donna, while in Ann Arbor. Barry earned his medical degree from Wayne State University and went on to a distinguished career as an anesthesiologist.

Following their marriage, Barry served his country as a physician in the United States Air Force, stationed at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. Although a residency at St. Mary’s Hospital in San Francisco first sparked his love for “The City,” he spent the majority of his professional career in Michigan at William Beaumont Hospital, while raising his family in Bloomfield Hills.

Known for his exceptionally calm demeanor, Barry had an unsuspecting and hilariously dry sense of humor. He was a voracious reader who quietly harbored a lifelong ambition to be a history professor. He was a devoted sports fan — particularly of the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants — and an admittedly “overly devoted” listener of Fox News.

Above all his professional and personal interests, there was nothing Barry loved more than his role as a grandfather. After moving back to his favorite city, San Francisco, for the final twenty years of his life, he took immense pride in his five grandchildren.

Barry was predeceased by his parents, Elsie and Irving Bronson. He is survived by his wife of nearly sixty years, Donna; his sister, Fern (Gerald); his daughter, Laura (David); his son, Erick (Liz); and his five grandchildren, who were his greatest joy: Ari, Ella, Jordan, Lexie, and Zackary.

Barry will be missed every single day.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the UCSF Foundation, designated to Dr. Mitch Berger in the Department of Neurosurgery for Brain Mapping Device Development.