Bloomberg

Leo Bloomberg of Longmeadow, Mass., died in his sleep Monday night, Nov. 7, 2022. He was 104.

His life was long and rich. He will forever have the respect and love of his last living daughter, Beverly Bloomberg, and his son-in-law, Thomas Narrigan. He shared their home and table for the last 2½ years of his life. He was generous, smart, obstinate and loyal. He told great stories — both true and embellished.

Leo was born in Chicago in 1918, to Esther (Simon) and Abe Bloomberg. He enlisted in the Army Air Force in September of 1940. During flight training in San Pedro, Calif., he met Lorraine Alter, and when he was shipped to the South Pacific, he joined the long list of servicemen with whom she corresponded. Their letters changed everything, and when he got furloughed in April of 1945 to San Francisco, she met him there and they were married. The young couple moved to Chicago.

After the war, Leo dallied briefly with civilian life before reenlisting in the U.S. Air Force. Being nomads in the military suited them. Lorraine, who now went by Laurie, took up art, first ceramics, then sculpture and painting. Leo read voraciously and loved opera, from Verdi and Puccini to Gilbert and Sullivan. He played bridge as often as he could and became a life master. With their three daughters, Lynn, Beverly and Sally in tow, they hit all the hot spots, Tacoma, Wash.; Roswell, N.M.; Selfridge Air Force Base, Mich.; Biggs AFB, Texas; McCoy AFB, Fla.; Charleston AFB, S.C.; Tachikawa AFB, Japan; Hickam AFB, Hawaii; Tulsa, Okla.; and finally, Travis AFB, Calif. Laurie made every one of those houses a home.

In their 60s, Leo and Laurie moved to Slippery Rock, where they made close friends and were proud to be part of creating the Slippery Rock Community Library. Leo went back to college and graduated from The Rock with a B.A. in philosophy. He liked political science, especially correcting his professors with his own lived version of history, but he was a philosopher at heart.

Once he retired, Leo discovered photography and silversmithing. Everyone in the family has a ring (or will be getting one soon). Laurie continued to indulge her love of art, filling dozens of sketchbooks as they traveled through Europe and the U.S. Their itineraries inevitably found them visiting the many friends they had made and kept. Laurie’s letter-writing skills were legendary.

They were preceded in death by their daughters, Sally Bloomberg and Lynn Bloomberg. Their deaths, at 43 and 71, broke their hearts. Leo also lost his sisters and their husbands, Riv and Merwin Abrams and Mickey and Allan David.

His brother, Paul Mason and his wife, Kyung, live in California. These siblings and their partners would gather frequently. They were gregarious, clever, chatty, argumentative and hilarious; and they enjoyed laughing together, sharing each other’s company and retelling uncountable family stories. They raised children who knew they were loved.

In 2013, Leo and Laurie moved to Massachusetts. Leaving the home they’d been able to settle into for 34 years was difficult, but they gained proximity to family. Leo always said, “The most important thing in life is family.”

Laurie died in May of 2020 at 96. She made Leo promise that she could go first. Naturally, he kept his word. They were married 75 years.

He is survived by his granddaughters, Eloise Narrigan (Josh Chodorow) and Annie Narrigan; his grandson, Matthew Bailey (Deanna Jackson); his former son-in-law, Brad Bailey (Pauline); Laurie’s sisters, Sue (Harold) and David, Karen and Sage; as well as three generations of nieces and nephews.

His family is especially grateful to have had the incredible help and support of several extraordinary women in caring for Leo, Aldith Arkins, Angella Martin, Patricia Genza, Vivian Rios, and, way back in the beginning, Adaley Saez. We are also thankful for Spectrum Hospice and their loving attendance. The week before Leo died, he was singing. Nobody recognized the song, but he didn’t care.

In lieu of flowers, tell your families, children and friends you love them.

Please sign the guest book at www.butlereagle.com.