Mano a Mano was sad to hear the news that Bob Rosenbloom recently passed away. We extend our sincere condolences and best wishes to Bob’s friends and family. From his obituary:
On Tuesday, June 21, 2022, Robert “Bob” Rosenbloom of Ossining, NY died unexpectedly at the age of 76. A beloved husband, father and grandfather, Bob’s loved ones find some solace knowing that he passed away in the midst of doing something he loved: traveling. Just the day before he fell ill, Bob had enjoyed touring the caverns of Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.
Bob was born in St, Louis, MO, on August 20, 1945, to the late Harriet (Silberstein) and S. Eugene Rosenbloom. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Lisa (Henderson) Rosenbloom of Ossining, NY; son Philip Rosenbloom (Christina DaCosta) of Poughkeepsie, NY; daughter Kate Rosenbloom of Brooklyn, NY; grandsons Lucien and Caleb Rosenbloom (who affectionately called him “Ace”); and sisters Bettyann Slatten (Brent) and Jane Charbonneau of the greater St. Louis area.
Bob caught the travel bug after his graduation from Princeton University in 1967, when he served in Bolivia with the Peace Corps. These two years proved a formative experience, sparking lifelong passions for community development, Latin America and the Spanish language, along with friendships with fellow volunteers that lasted for the next 55 years. Most recently, after a return trip to Bolivia with these friends, he helped raise funds for the nonprofit Mano a Mano to dig a well for a small community there.
After returning from the Peace Corps, Bob completed a doctorate in political science at Stanford University, where he first met Lisa waiting outside a library that was evacuated by a bomb threat. He went on to become Associate Professor of Politics at Mount Holyoke College, before joining the Corporate Social Responsibility team at Chemical Bank (later JPMorgan Chase Foundation) in 1983. For the next 22 years, Bob and a group of close-knit colleagues funded millions of dollars in grants to charitable organizations in the U.S. and around the world. This gave him great satisfaction and the opportunity to travel to places like South Africa and his beloved South America.
Bob was committed to social justice locally, as well. After retiring from Chase, he worked part-time for the Housing Action Council, helping Westchester residents facing foreclosure. For years, he sat on the boards of the IFCA Housing Network and the Ethical Society of Northern Westchester. He also volunteered with Neighbors Link to help immigrants learn English and integrate into American life.
When he wasn’t out serving his community, Bob could often be found reading. He consumed the New York Times cover-to-cover every morning and in the evening settled in with historical fiction or nonfiction. He enjoyed getting out of the house and regularly walked in Rockefeller State Park, swam at Club Fit, or kayaked in the Croton River. He loved making lattes with his espresso maker, baking bread, and eating ice cream. He was a fan of classic Mel Brooks movies and the music of Mozart, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Bonnie Raitt. His kindness, generosity and sense of humor will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, July 31, 2022 at 2 p.m. at the Ossining Children’s Center (32 State Street, Ossining, NY 10562). Parking will be limited, so carpools are highly encouraged.
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to one of the following charities:
- Neighbors Link (www.neighborslink.org)
- Mano a Mano International (www.manoamano.org)
- IFCA Housing Network (www.ifcany.org)
- Ossining Children’s Center (www.ossiningchildrenscenter.org)
Bob on a recent trip in Arizona.
Peace Corps Bolivia
“Bob caught the travel bug after his graduation from Princeton University in 1967, when he served in Bolivia with the Peace Corps. These two years proved a formative experience, sparking lifelong passions for community development, Latin America and the Spanish language, along with friendships with fellow volunteers that lasted for the next 55 years. Most recently, after a return trip to Bolivia with these friends, he helped raise funds for the nonprofit Mano a Mano to dig a well for a small community there.”
Bob in Bolivia in 1967 or 1968. (Thanks to the Rosenbloom family for sharing this photo.)
(Thanks to the Rosenbloom family for sharing this photo.)
Waca Playa Water Well Project
We are grateful to Bob and the many “Peace Corps Bolivia Group 30 and Friends (1967-1969)” that have partnered with Mano a Mano over the past year on a deep water well project in Waca Playa, which is nearing completion. The Peace Corps is near and dear to Mano a Mano; our co-founder Joan Velasquez served in the Peace Corps in Bolivia from 1967-1969, and was awarded the Sargent Shriver Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Service in 2008 for her work with Mano a Mano. (Joan and Bob actually served in the Peace Corps in Bolivia over the same years, but were in different parts of the country.)
Mano a Mano staff working on the Waca Playa water well. We pumped bentonite into the bore hole during drilling to keep gravel from falling in and to make sure the sides remained intact. When drilling was complete, we pumped bentonite out of the well and into the slurry pool. The project engineer delivered 10 gallons of additive to the slurry pool site; it will help loosen the bentonite which had been pumped into the well during the drilling process. The final step involves running the pump for at least 48 hours to fully cleanse bentonite and other impurities from the well water.