Alan Bloom

ALAN BLOOM VALPARAISO, IN
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 preceded in death 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 AM on Monday, October 14, 2013. In lieu of flowers, Alan’s family requests donations to Hilltop House or Habitat for Humanity. moellerfuneralhome.com