Mark Bloom Obituary

Mark Bloom CHARLESTON - Mark Bloom, a consummate journalist, beloved partner, and valued friend, died on Wednesday, Jan.12, in Charleston. He had chronic kidney disease and suffered a heart attack the day before, said Susan Lyons, his partner of nearly nine years. He was 82. He was a thinking man whose broad interests ran from opera to sports, from travel to reading three newspapers a day, from a profound loyalty to those he loved to a never-ending immersion in the ways of the world. "Conversation, just being with Mark, was enriching," said Ms. Lyons. "His observations were sharp, his wit was quite wonderful, and his love was gentle and lasting." After studying at Kenyon College, he began a journalism career as varied as his personal interests. Early on he worked for the AP and Reuters wire services, and at Canadian Press in Toronto. Later, he was hired by Ms. Lyons's late husband, Richard, in the Science Department of the New York Daily News, where he became lead reporter on the NASA space program. He produced multiple front-page stories about the first manned moon landing in 1969. In 2019, he was featured in a PBS special, "Chasing the Moon," about that program and in Charleston, on the S.S. Yorktown, was the keynoter at a 50th anniversary celebration of the moon landing. After covering Gemini and Apollo at NASA, Mr. Bloom became a full-time medical writer, producing cover stories on breaking news in "Medical World News", such as the first heart transplant and, from the emergency room, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's assassination. For 15 years, he was editor and chief of "Physicians Weekly" on issues such as the health of presidential candidates and the inner workings of the American Medical Association. His colleagues considered him an invaluable editor, one of them recalling, "Mark made the copy zing, weighing each word. He asked the right questions and always improved the story." Mr. Bloom was born on April 7, 1939 in Manhattan, the son of Lucille and Louis H. Bloom. His family moved to Larchmont, NY when he was a child, but he would return to Manhattan for most of his adult life. He maintained an apartment there at his death, but in recent years spent most of his time in Charleston. Mark made lasting friendships. They include a group of school chums who met for 65 years for an annual Thanksgiving football game in Central Park and reunion at his apartment. Mark was a widower. His wife of 40 years, Kay, died in 2010. Besides Ms. Lyons, he is survived by his sister, Dianne Gregg of Potomac, MD, two nephews and a niece, and several great-nieces and one great-nephew. His collie, Maggie, a constant companion, survives as well. Memorial plans are on hold until the pandemic eases. Arrangements by Palmetto Cremation Society. Visit our guestbook at legacy.com/obituaries/charleston