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Today, we are mourning the loss of a giant in the health care justice movement and in the history of Health Law Advocates (HLA) -- Rob Restuccia. Rob passed away yesterday after enduing six months since he learned he had pancreatic cancer.
Rob dedicated his career to making health care available to everyone - and we are lucky that he did. For over 30 years, first as founding Executive Director of Health Care For All (HCFA) and then in the same role as Community Catalyst, Rob was a preeminent leader in our country's march toward health equity. Along the way, while at HCFA he played a central role in HLA's founding, first as a program of HCFA and then as a non-profit public interest law firm. To this day, HCFA remains HLA's sole corporate member and key partner along with Community Catalyst.
Rob's accomplishments as a health care leader and advocate are legendary. We will always be grateful for how he changed the world. But Rob's personal qualities were just as impressive, if not more so. He was kind, generous, optimistic, and honest to name just a few of the ways we will remember Rob. His soft-spoken and encouraging way drew people to Rob because your life was better for knowing him.
Recently, Rob expressed that he believed the march toward universal health care is unstoppable. We agree. And Rob made sure that it is.
Cards and letters for Rob's family can be sent to Sarah Trieweiler's attention at Community Catalyst, One Federal Street, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02110.
Contributions in Rob's honor to the Restuccia Leadership Fund can be made here. Checks can be made out to Community Catalyst - Restuccia Leadership Fund. The family will welcome friends and colleagues to celebrate Rob's life on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at 10:30 AM at the First Parish Church in Brookline, Massachuetts. An event to honor Rob, Together For The People, scheduled for April 30, will take place as planned.
With gratitude,
Matt Selig
HLA Executive Director |
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Mala Rafik
President of HLA's Board of Directors
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