Bruce W. Steiner *56

Bruce died at age 92 Feb. 8, 2024, in Sudbury, Mass., after a short illness.

Born May 14, 1931, in Oberlin, Ohio, he majored in chemistry at Oberlin, graduating in 1953, and earned his doctorate in chemistry at Princeton in 1956.

Bruce was a conscientious objector to the Korean War and spent 1956-58 in Israel, working for the American Friends Service Committee. Upon his return from Israel, he did postdoctoral work in physics at the University of Chicago.

In 1960, with his wife Ruth, Bruce moved to Washington, D.C., and took a position at the National Bureau of Standards. The couple adopted a son, Jonathan, and a daughter, Miriam. Bruce and Ruth separated in 1994. Bruce then met Jim Anthony through a Quaker LGBT group. When Bruce retired, he relocated to Boston to live with Jim. Jim’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis saw the couple become outspoken voices for the experiences of Alzheimer’s patients and the gay elderly.

After Jim died, Bruce found a new life partner, Bill Donavan, who survives him.

Bruce was a scientist to his bones, and his eyes often twinkled in wonder at the world around him. His most-used phrase was, “Isn’t that marvelous!”

Graduate alumni memorials are prepared by the APGA.