Michael Bloom

Michael Bloom, of Denver, Colorado, passed away peacefully on May 31, 2014 at age 71 after a courageous battle with Primary Myelofibrosis and Leukemia. Family was of utmost importance to Mike. He leaves behind Lonna, his wife of nearly 46 years, along with his devoted children, Naya, Josh, Jesse and their families: Drew, Carie, Payton, Taylor, Braden, Cai, and Eli. He is also survived by his mother, Ruth, brother, David, sisters, Margie and Joanne, and was preceded in death by his father, Mort.Mike was a loyal friend, a mentor to many, and above all a man of great decency, humanity, and integrity. His motto was "Keep Going" and his spirit will live in the lives he touched and the many who loved him dearly. Mike was raised in Toms River, NJ where he was a three-sport star athlete at Toms River High School. He attended Dartmouth College where he was shortstop and captain on the baseball team. He then joined the newly established Peace Corps as a Volunteer in Bolivia (along with his future wife) and later became associate Peace Corps director in Panama. He and Lonna loved traveling the world and lived in Germany, Nicaragua, and Spain before returning stateside to attend Harvard's Kennedy School of Public Policy and ultimately settle in Colorado. Mike and Lonna spent 20 wonderful years in Alamosa where they raised their family and Mike led Valley Wide Health Services from it's infancy into a robust model of health care delivery in rural America. In 1996, Mike began his tenure as President and CEO of Sunrise Community Health Centers in Greeley and later co-founded the Northern Colorado Health Alliance. He was a founding board member of the Colorado HealthOP, the only not-for-profit health insurance cooperative in Colorado. Mike was an ardent champion for affordable, quality healthcare for all and was a determined, vocal, and fearless advocate for social justice and equity. We will have a celebration of his life on August 14th in Denver and August 15th in Alamosa. Memorial donations may be made to the Mike Bloom Community Service Scholarship Fund at Sunrise Community Health Center. This fund honors Mike's lifelong dedication to helping those in need while celebrating his commitment to health care, education and growth. Mike Bloom Community Service Scholarship Fund c/o Sunrise Community Health, 2930 11th Avenue, Evans, CO 80620
We've put together a few of our favorite memories in this slideshow: "Keep Going"