PAUL RUDD

RUDD--Paul R. 45, Paul Robeson Rudd died unexpectedly in his home in New York City on April 28. He was born in Philadelphia on July 9, 1974, to Sue LeGrand and Mark Rudd, who named him in honor of the great Paul Robeson. A brilliant person, Paul was also modest, kind, generous, and extremely thoughtful about how to make the world more humane and just. He was admired and loved by his colleagues, friends, and family. Paul grew up in Albuquerque, NM. He attended Brown University where he met his life partner, Denise Desjardins, while working together at the radio station WBRU. Paul graduated from Brown in 1996 with a degree in neuroscience and later went on to create a successful stock trading program using techniques learned in his studies. This led to the founding of the company Adaptive Analytics. Paul was deeply involved in building the infrastructure for a progressive political movement. Previously a member of the Democracy Alliance and on the board of Brave New Films, Paul most recently served on the board of directors for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and was board vice chair for the Roosevelt Institute. In 2015, Paul and Denise's daughter Violet was born. Paul was a loving and devoted father. The family of three spent their days playing, learning, practicing math, and talking. A few weeks before his death, Paul taught Violet how to ride a bike and was so proud of her. Paul is survived by his partner Denise Desjardins of New York City; daughter Violet Desjardins Rudd; mother Sue LeGrand of San Diego; father Mark Rudd and stepmother Marla Painter of Albuquerque; sister Elena Rudd Colvin, her husband Kristian Colvin of San Diego; brother Simon McCormack, his wife Hilary Hanson of Brooklyn; father-in-law Ray Desjardins mother-in-law and Donna Desjardins of Cedar Run, NJ; and former stepfather Chuck McCormack, his wife Sally Bergen of Albuquerque. He was preceded in death by his grandparents Jake and Bertha Rudd and Felix and Penny LeGrand. A private burial was held on May 6, 2020 at Beth Israel Cemetery/ Woodbridge Memorial Gardens, Woodbridge, NJ. Contributions in memory of Paul can be made online to Brave New Films, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, or the Roosevelt Institute.