Bradford Peter Straus

Born in New York City on January 29, 1937, Brad was the son of Ralph Isidor Straus and Matilda Bradford Day Straus. He attended Buckley School and Pomfret School before earning his bachelor’s degree from Harvard College in 1959. He served in the U.S. Army before returning to Harvard Business School, where he received his MBA in 1965. His Army service included work as a parachute instructor and an assignment at West Point, where he helped fellow soldiers prepare for civilian life and new careers. He remembered that work as especially rewarding.

Brad’s professional life ranged from corporate aviation and work at John Hancock Life Insurance to the emerging field of data processing and computer systems design. From 1969 until his retirement in 1996, he worked largely with small, privately held companies, notably Mitrol, Inc. He enjoyed the challenges of a field changing rapidly and the opportunity to help shape new technology.

Brad believed that generosity was most meaningful when it met a specific need. He sought out smaller endeavors where his support could make a substantial difference and enjoyed working alongside the people behind them. In Arizona, he supported PASS (Programs for After School Success), an inner-city tennis program in Phoenix. He also supported the Arizona Archaeological Society by helping fund the cataloging of archaeological artifacts so that years of discoveries would remain useful to future researchers.

His commitment to Pomfret continued long after his school days. He served as a trustee for 30 years, including eight years as treasurer. Beginning in the late 1970s, he became deeply involved in Pomfret's success. Concerned about the school’s financial difficulties, he developed a computer-based financial model that enabled Pomfret to plan for its short-term survival and long-term stability. He later turned much of his attention to its diversity efforts, helping make seminars, guest speakers, and other activities possible.

Brad’s commitment to inclusion grew through a willingness to question his own assumptions and learn from other people’s experiences. His generosity helped establish Pomfret’s Virginia S. Eaton Multicultural Resource Center. When it was proposed naming the center for Brad, he asked instead that it honor Ginny Eaton and her decades of work. He expressed his guiding belief simply: “Civility is where everyone has a seat at the table.”

Tennis was a lifelong pleasure. A member of Longwood Cricket Club since 1968, Brad spent many happy hours on the court and continued playing during his years in Arizona. His interests also took him into the air through skydiving and soaring.

Brad enjoyed travel and spent many winters with Diane in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, followed by the Boulders in Arizona and later Gulf Harbour in Florida. They eventually settled in Boston year-round, spending the last three years there. He remained mentally and physically active in retirement, pursuing his interests in aviation, tennis, and archaeology.

His interests included piano and ragtime, and he maintained an interest in family history through the Straus Historical Society and the Massachusetts Mayflower Society.

His first marriage, to Janet Rusyniak Rogaski, brought two children, Jennifer and Timothy.

Brad is survived by his wife, Diane; his daughter, Jennifer Straus; his son, Timothy Straus; his stepson, Byron Ashley; his brother, Thomas P. Straus; and his nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

Brad leaves a legacy of practical generosity and sustained service, reflected in the institutions he strengthened and the projects he helped make possible.