Brian A. Bard

Brian Anthony Bard Age 48, died on February 7, 2017 in his home in Pittsburgh, surrounded by loving family. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer Bannan; son, Cypress Emerson (6); and step-children, Tova Rae (16) and Desmond Moses Engel (12). Brian was born June 29, 1968 in Detroit, the third of four children to Dolores and Harold Bard. Although he lost his father as a baby, he had a busy, active childhood including many trips to the family's "up north" chalet, beginnings that led to his deep love of nature. An avid scholar and advocate, Brian received his bachelor's in philosophy from the University of Michigan in 1989, worked for Greenpeace in San Francisco and New York and in Germany for a year of further philosophy studies. He earned his master's in philosophy from San Francisco State University in 1993. By then a speaker of German and Spanish and reader of Greek, Brian pursued a doctorate degree at Binghamton University in the 1990s. There he met his first wife, Maria Santander, a relationship that led him to live for over a year in Chile and eventually brought him to Pittsburgh. A self-taught software engineer, Brian's most important career accomplishments were in the development of leading-edge software for Four Rivers Software Services Inc. (now Accruent), used in more than 2,100 hospitals and healthcare facilities across the U.S. A listener, challenger, anti-establisher, and searcher, Brian cared about the big questions, dreamed about the "beauteous mystery" and thought constantly about how to live best. To the prompt "I'm really good at," on the dating site that led him to Jennifer in 2009, he wrote: "Love, gardening, touch, hope, hangin on." Brian received the devastating diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in October of 2015. He committed the last of the time he had to continuing his philosophy studies and to world travel in Thailand, Laos, Mexico and many U.S. destinations, all while receiving chemotherapy treatments. Throughout his illness he maintained his intense connection to nature and family: mountain and road-biking, running, camping, hiking, water- and cross-country skiing and being the most enthusiastic father and husband a family could imagine. Brian is survived by his mother, Dolores Anderson; his sister and brother, Michelle and Stephen Bard; his brother-in-law, Louis Pivetta; and nephew and niece, Alexander Joseph "A.J." and Lisa Marie Pivetta; and cousins, Bruce and Kelly Krymow and their families. He also leaves behind Jennifer's parents, William and Sherry Bannan; Jennifer's sister, Tammy Kelly and her children, Andrew, Jacob, Samuel and Anna Kelly; along with many other relatives and dear friends. He is preceded in death by his father, Harold Bard; his step-father, Dennis Anderson; his Uncle Jo and Aunt Ginny Krymow; and sister, Cheryl Pivetta. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lustgarten Foundation or Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. A Memorial Service for Brian will be held at 6pm on Sunday, March 12, 2017 at The National Aviary in Pittsburgh.

Brian A. Bard

June 29, 1968 - February 7, 2017