Bruce M. Blackman
November 6, 1942 ~ May 3, 2021
It is with profound sadness that the family of Bruce Monroe Blackman mourn his passing. Bruce is a Foreign Service Officer, Zen Roshi and Guiding Teacher, he was born in Bridgeport, CT on Nov. 6, 1942 and passed away on May 3, 2021 in Falls Church, VA.
Bruce is survived by his wife of 54 years, Joan, as well as sons Marc (Susanna), Burke (Casey), daughter Holly (Justin), sister Lindsay (Hugh) and 6 grandchildren: Melanie, Kristina, Monroe, Callen, Reeve and Abbie. He is predeceased by mother, Virginia Pottratz; father, Judson Blackman; daughter, Erin Nunez; and brother Gary Blackman.
Bruce moved with his family to Portland, Oregon when he was 12. He loved sports and was a great baseball player in high school and college. He graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Arts, followed by a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley, and a 2nd Master’s Degree from the Johns Hopkins University School for Advanced International Studies in International Public Policy.
He began a career with the State Department Foreign Service in 1970 as a Foreign Service Officer which took the Blackman family to South America, Central America, and Asia. After 23 years as a Foreign Service Officer he retired from the government and worked for Fairfax County while pursuing his passion for Zen teaching and Meditation, through which he formed many lasting, important relationships in his life. Bruce was a Zen Roshi and guiding teacher of the Clare Sangha Meditation group in Baltimore, MD, where many were fortunate enough to learn meditation through his gentle and patient guidance. Helping people grow in their spirituality and mindfulness gave him great happiness.
He was an avid runner, swimmer, and hiker - completing 18 marathons, including the Boston, New York and Marine Corps marathons - as well as numerous hikes around the world. Bruce enjoyed spending summers at the family cottage in Nova Scotia, and loved to hear about his family’s interests and successes, regular family get-togethers, watching his grandsons play baseball, and seeing his loving family grow. We are heartbroken by his loss but take comfort in knowing he lived a full, rich, spiritual, and interesting life that touched so many people in a unique way. Rest in Peace Bruce – we love you!
The family will receive friends at the Money and King Funeral Home, 171 W. Maple Ave. on Thursday, May 13th 2021 from 2-4 & 6-8PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, May 14th at St. John Neumann Catholic Church 11900 Lawyers Road, Reston, VA 20190 at 10:30 AM www.moneyandking.com
Bruce is survived by his wife of 54 years, Joan, as well as sons Marc (Susanna), Burke (Casey), daughter Holly (Justin), sister Lindsay (Hugh) and 6 grandchildren: Melanie, Kristina, Monroe, Callen, Reeve and Abbie. He is predeceased by mother, Virginia Pottratz; father, Judson Blackman; daughter, Erin Nunez; and brother Gary Blackman.
Bruce moved with his family to Portland, Oregon when he was 12. He loved sports and was a great baseball player in high school and college. He graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Arts, followed by a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley, and a 2nd Master’s Degree from the Johns Hopkins University School for Advanced International Studies in International Public Policy.
He began a career with the State Department Foreign Service in 1970 as a Foreign Service Officer which took the Blackman family to South America, Central America, and Asia. After 23 years as a Foreign Service Officer he retired from the government and worked for Fairfax County while pursuing his passion for Zen teaching and Meditation, through which he formed many lasting, important relationships in his life. Bruce was a Zen Roshi and guiding teacher of the Clare Sangha Meditation group in Baltimore, MD, where many were fortunate enough to learn meditation through his gentle and patient guidance. Helping people grow in their spirituality and mindfulness gave him great happiness.
He was an avid runner, swimmer, and hiker - completing 18 marathons, including the Boston, New York and Marine Corps marathons - as well as numerous hikes around the world. Bruce enjoyed spending summers at the family cottage in Nova Scotia, and loved to hear about his family’s interests and successes, regular family get-togethers, watching his grandsons play baseball, and seeing his loving family grow. We are heartbroken by his loss but take comfort in knowing he lived a full, rich, spiritual, and interesting life that touched so many people in a unique way. Rest in Peace Bruce – we love you!
The family will receive friends at the Money and King Funeral Home, 171 W. Maple Ave. on Thursday, May 13th 2021 from 2-4 & 6-8PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, May 14th at St. John Neumann Catholic Church 11900 Lawyers Road, Reston, VA 20190 at 10:30 AM www.moneyandking.com
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The Owners and Staff at the Money and King Funeral Home, wish to express our sincere sympathy to you. It is our hope that we may be able to make a difficult time more bearable. Please feel free to call us anytime as we are always available to you. Bob Gallagher Funeral Director
A candle was lit for the decedent.
Aunt Joan, Marc, Burke, Holly and all of the family and friends going through this tremendous loss, I send my deepest condolences to you all. Uncle Bruce was such a special person, to all of us. It has been so evident from the tributes that all of our family have been sharing with one another, how much everyone loved him, and the immense impact he had on our lives. He really did teach each of us, whether it was about baseball or living a good life and helping others. He always made you feel welcome and he would never budge, no matter how hard you tried, in allowing you to help with KP duty. I just want to send all of my love to each of you. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Love, Nicole
Joan, Marc, Burke, Holly and all of the family. We want to express our deep sorrow and sympathy for the loss of Bruce. We have so many memories of our visits with all of you, and fond memories of our trips together. Bruce always had such an interest in everywhere we went, learning about the people and places. He loved the adventure including climbing an impossible hill to see a castle. The rest of us were at the bottom, looking up. There are so many memories, the list is endless. We are going to miss Bruce very much. Sending all of you our love and prayers. Bill and Eileen
Joan, Marc, Burke, Holly and the entire family – We want to send our condolences and profound sorrow to all of you and everyone whose lives Bruce touched. Uncle Bruce was such a special person. He taught us to be patient, to follow our dreams and to be kind. He encouraged everyone to follow their dreams. One special memory for us was during one of our stopovers to visit you on our way to/from Florida. Brenna had written a story and shared it with Bruce. He was genuinely impressed by what she had written. He followed it with a note that he sent to her encouraging her to continue writing. I have never forgotten that. There are so many memories that we all have that bring smiles to our faces and tears to our eyes. We will miss him. Please know that you are all in our thoughts and prayers. Love Roxane, Derek, Brenna, Emily and Liam.
A candle was lit for the decedent.
To my sister, Joan, her daughter Holly, sons Marc and Burke, and sister Lindsay, and grandchildren, my heart breaks for you all. Bruce meant so much to so many. Your Nova Scotia family will miss you so very much. As you continue on your spiritual journey, may your Spirit soar. Love you all ❣️
I can never forget Bruce. He was my first boss when I joined USAID in early 1981 and kindly aided me in getting to know the ropes. Those were the days. Fast forward many years later when I caught up with Bruce at his house in Lima, Peru and a memorable dinner. He was a wonderful man and sorely missed.