Bruce B. Atkins

Bruce Benjamin Atkins died on Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Schenectady, New York. He was 88 years old.

Bruce was born January 25, 1938, in Brockport, New York, to Luella (Carselli) Atkins and Kenneth Atkins. He was raised in Albany, New York, where his mother was a schoolteacher and his father was a machinist. He had many fond memories of spending time in Holley, New York with his paternal grandmother Adelaide, as well as visits to his Italian family there. An only child, he had a small but treasured circle of friends and often told stories of 1940s childhood adventures at the movies, buying penny candy, and owning a succession of family dogs. His intelligence was evident from an early age and though he was an unmotivated scholar and a classroom troublemaker, his talent was recognized by an astute teacher, Ms. Gunn, who encouraged his writing and pushed him to pursue college, even going so far as to arrange an admissions interview and accompany him to it. He attended SUNY Albany for two years where he met lifelong friends as well as the love of his life and wife of 66 years, Martha Susan (Lesick).

Bruce eventually graduated in 1960 with a BA in English from Harpur College (now Binghamton University), after which he and Martha wed and drove cross country to San Francisco, California, to start a new life. He earned a master’s degree in English from the University of California at San Francisco, and later a PhD in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, taking classes from none other than Helen C. White, for whom a library at the university is named.

Bruce began his teaching career at San José State in California, but he left after Ronald Reagan was elected governor, citing Reagan’s lack of support for public education and his funding cuts. He was hired at SUNY Cortland as an assistant professor in the English Department over the phone (those were the days!). Martha and Bruce moved to Central New York in 1967 and remained there for the rest of their professional lives, living in a beautiful Victorian house in Homer where they hosted countless dinners, parties, and impromptu gatherings and were famed for annually cutting down and decorating a glorious Christmas tree that filled half of the living room.

Bruce was promoted to associate professor in 1975, became chair of the English Department in 1992, and full professor in 1995. He was a terrific teacher who inspired many in the classroom, and he was immensely proud of his accomplishments as chair. He loved mentoring graduate students and teaching a course on America in the 1960s with his best friend in Cortland, history professor Frank Burdick. He served a four-year term as Cortland’s United University Professors (UUP) chapter president. He considered his union involvement among his greatest contributions to the profession, especially his work to ensure that part-time faculty and lecturers received similar benefits as professors.

An accomplishment of a different sort serves as an example of the thoughtful discernment that made him so special. Late in life Bruce conquered a lifelong fear of the water by learning to swim. For many this would be an unremarkable event, but he was able to gather so much from it—a heartfelt appreciation for the gentle skillfulness of a gifted PE professor (Florence Brush); a meditation on the role of physical accomplishment as it relates to mental fortitude; and an allegory for his own behavior in the classroom—and then he shared that delight in discovery with others, through his stories, his writing, and his teaching.

Besting his fear of swimming led Bruce to overcome other fears and inhibitions. He began taking commercial flights, which opened his life to travel. His eldest daughter urged him to visit her in Florence, Italy; on that first trip to Europe, he fell in love with Italy’s art and history, which he continued to study by auditing courses at SUNY Cortland. Other trips followed: to France, Greece and additional regions of Italy, as well as a return to California and a long-awaited visit to the Grand Canyon.

Bruce definitely made an impression, with his fiery disposition, wicked sense of humor, and an endless series of one-liners; he loved good food, good conversation, and a good argument. He was a dedicated Democrat and populist who never tired of writing letters to the editor in defense of our democracy and what he considered to be important principles of American society. He had boundless curiosity and fiercely loved his wife and two daughters. He spent 40-plus years restoring their house on Cayuga Street, often by himself, and spent a fortune on his beloved Oldsmobile convertible bought from another dear friend, Harsey Leonard. He read voraciously, loved movies, and never met a dog he didn’t like. He will be greatly missed.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Martha; his two children, Lara (Pasquale Marchese) Atkins and Alexandra (Matthew) Rebhorn; and his adored grandchildren, Phoebe Violet Rebhorn, Erik Benjamin Rebhorn, and Giovanna Elena Marchese. We think he is enjoying his ideal afterlife surrounded by his best friends (Harsey, Frank, Clark and Al, just to name a few), playing poker, listening to his favorite albums, reading a book, enjoying a gin and tonic on the front porch after mowing the lawn, driving classic cars, and most importantly laughing long and often.

The family will hold a private celebration of his life. In lieu of flowers or remembrances, donations may be made to the ACLU in his memory via the ACLU Memorial Gift Form at aclu.org.