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Obituary and life story submitted by the family

John Bloom

J

ohn Cotten Bloom passed away December 16, 2021. John successfully fought two blood cancers for over 14 years (multiple myeloma in 2007 and myelodysplastic syndrome in 2013).

John’s mother, Rosie Bloom was sitting in the Cliff House restaurant in San Francisco overlooking the expanse of the Pacific Ocean when she told his father, Mel, “I think it is time to go to the hospital.” John was born on December 3, 1945. When he told you his birthday, he expected you to remember it – 12345.

Husband, companion, and candle in the night to Jayne Stasser. Father to Shari and Jay. Papa John to Regi, Alex TJ, and Sharikah. Caring son, brother, nephew and cousin to his own family. A good friend to Jayne’s.

John at the 2014 Oriental Boat Show, using prop sailboats to demonstrate basic rules of racing.

Poet, songwriter, autoharp player, philosopher, inventor, mechanical engineer, college instructor, recreational program coder, sailor, craftsman, creative cook, sourdough bread baker, steadfast beloved friend.

John playing the autoharp.

John Bloom with Les Evans at the 2012 Oriental Cup Regatta.

A memorial service will be scheduled in the future and held in Oriental, NC. In lieu of flowers, please give a donation to the charity of your choice. Charitable giving was a big part of who John was. You keep his memory alive when you give in his name.

The beginning of John’s sailboat racing career. Taken when John was in high school, he is with his racing partner Paul Becker during a race with the Hueston Woods Sailing Association on Acton Lake outside Oxford, Ohio.

Empty-handed I entered the world
Barefoot I leave it.
My coming, my going—
Two simple happenings
That got entangled.
— Kozan Ichikyo, 1360 A.D.

In 2017, John recorded his original song, ‘Lay Your Burden Down’. Listen to it here:

Posted Friday December 17, 2021 by Allison DeWeese