Remembering Gideon Rosenbluth
Below is the text of the obituary for Gideon Rosenbluth, a renowned progressive economist, and a past president of the Canadian Economics Association. Gideon was a long-time Research Associate of the CCPA, and served many years on our Research Advisory Committee.
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Gideon Rosenbluth
January 23, 1921 August 8, 2011
Gideon Rosenbluth died suddenly in Vancouver while swimming with a friend on
a sunny day. He had just spent a very happy week with visiting family,
taking long walks in the woods he loved, enjoying family meals and
discussions. He was a model to family and friends of aging with dignity,
wisdom and courage, remaining mentally and physically active until the end.
Born in Berlin, Germany, Gideon was the second of three children. The family
fled Nazi Germany in 1933, moving to England where he went to school. When
the war started, he was part of the group of Jewish refugees interned and
shipped to camps in Canada. That experience made him self-sufficient, strong
and to some degree shaped his politics. He always was on the left,
supporting progressive causes, writing and actively working for social
change.
As a professor of economics at Princeton, Stanford, Queens, and UBC, Gideon
was a distinguished academic who held high standards for himself and his
students. He taught and wrote about economic theory and its application for
the analysis of individual behaviour, corporate organization and government
policy. His rigorous approach to scholarship and community involvement was
guided by his commitment to social justice. At various times, he was
president of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, president of
the Canadian Economics Association, editor of the Canadian Journal of
Economics, an elected member of the UBC Senate and honoured as a member of
the Royal Society of Canada.
Predeceased last year by Mimi, his beloved wife of 66 years, Gideon will be
deeply missed and always remembered with love and laughter by his family:
sister Raja, daughter Vera, son-in-law Robin Hanvelt, son David,
daughter-in-law Molly Moss, grandchildren Marc (Marisa Victor), Jonathan,
Anna (Paul Sheridan), Peter (Milvi Tiislar) and great-grandchildren Gryffin,
Acacia and Alex.
Gideon leaves a rich legacy of values and life wisdom, according to which he
lived. Clothes don¹t make the man. Always have some granola bars in your
backpack. Keep trying for those perfect telemark turns. Don¹t waste time
it¹s precious. Don¹t ever be afraid to stand up for your beliefs. His last
great lesson to us was that with time, one can heal from even the greatest
loss.
A memorial gathering with family and friends will be held on Sunday September 25. Messages may be sent to
[email protected]. Donations in Gideon’s name may be made to either of two
organizations close to his heart: the Canadian Centre for Policy
Alternatives, BC Branch, #1400 207 West Hastings Street, Vancouver BC, V6B
1H7 or Outlook, Canada¹s Progressive Jewish Magazine, 6184 Ash Street,
Vancouver BC, V5Z 3G9.