Bruce Zoffin Segal

Bruce Zoffin Segal (12/27/32-7/19/25) was the loving husband of Mary Riley Segal. He was predeceased by his cherished wife Doralie Levine Segal and his beloved sister Phyllis Goodman. He is the adored stepfather of Rochelle (Shelly) Bloom, Chandra Denenberg Zieff, and Amy Abelson, and the proud grandfather of Gabe and Drew Zieff (and his fiancé, Katie Botwin), and Mollie and Tina Abelson. He is also survived by his sons-in-law, Paul Bloom and Ed Abelson, and his wife Mary’s children, Ann Riley, Jean Vretas, Mary-Lynn Riley, and Michael Riley.

Bruce passed away several years after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. He maintained his dignity and his wit and humor throughout the stages of this debilitating disease.

Bruce pursued everything he did with an unparalleled sense of honesty, fairness, and meticulousness. He loved animals and cared about every creature big or small. And he always rooted for the underdog. Bruce was very political to the end of his life; he was determined to vote in the last election despite North Carolina rejecting his absentee ballot. Even though wheelchair bound, he made sure that he was driven to the poll to cast his ballot.

Bruce was a tax attorney for the IRS for many years, a profession well-suited to his sense of integrity and his love of detail. Prior to joining the IRS, Bruce served in the U.S. Army as an attorney during the Korean conflict, where, among other things, he defended a potato-peeler in a landmark case (and won).

Bruce enjoyed many hobbies and activities throughout his life. In his 30’s and 40s’, he was an avid runner and later, when back issues made his favorite sport unadvisable, he turned to swimming with the same passion and dedication. He was religious in doing his daily stretches on the living room floor while listening to his favorite country music. In his later years, he enjoyed walking with his caregivers or family members until he was no longer able to.

Bruce was a master bridge player and took pride in his proficient skill. He also dedicated himself to organizing and overseeing bridge games in whatever community he belonged to. Wherever he lived, he collected fans-- people looked up to him, admired him and were grateful for his generosity. In the last years of his life, he thoroughly enjoyed playing cards with his wife, Mary, his caregivers, children and grandchildren.

Throughout most of Bruce’s adult life, he was an avid Fantasy Football competitor. He loved spending many hours communicating with his friends about the teams and their results. But Bruce was also passionate about 2 real sports teams--the Washington Redskins (football) (he couldn’t bring himself to call them the Washington Commanders) and the Washington Nationals (baseball). In recent years, he was finally able to watch both teams play live on TV. He was a true fan and watched the games wearing his Redskins or Nationals cap, shorts, and t-shirt. This brought him a lot of happiness and revealed a more spirited side to his personality, even when his team was losing. Bruce was so excited to watch these games and would reminisce about seeing his first live Nationals game when he was 7 years old.

Bruce will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

Contributions in honor of Bruce can be made to the Humane Society (https://www.humaneworld.org/en) or the Voter Participation Center at Voterparticipation.org