After his prostate cancer diagnosis in 2006, Joseph Howard Blumberg became a passionate champion of men’s health.
For the past six years, he worked as executive director of the Men’s Health & Wellness Center, raising money and increasing awareness of prostate cancer while encouraging men to take charge of their health.
Although undergoing aggressive cancer treatment, he continued to teach classes and lead support groups for other prostate cancer patients and their families.
“Joe was an outstanding individual on every level,” Eric Seidel, the center’s board chairman, said in a statement. “And through his tireless efforts, he elevated awareness of the Men’s Health & Wellness Center to improve the lives and the health of men throughout metro Atlanta. He will be missed, but never forgotten.”
Blumberg of Marietta died Dec. 4 after a nine-year battle with prostate cancer. He was 73. His memorial service was Dec. 10 at Temple Kol Emeth in Marietta.
Born on July 20, 1942, in Utica, N.Y., Blumberg grew up in Toledo, Ohio. An only child, he was good at math and outgoing.
Although he received an electrical engineering degree from the University of Toledo in 1964, Blumberg never wanted the life of an engineer because he loved interacting with people.
After college, Blumberg worked for Ohio Bell developing and selling data communications systems and training data system programmers.
In 1968, he went to the Air Force as a communications officer and served until 1971. That same year, he received his master’s degree in management and organizational behavior from Case Western University.
He then moved into human resources and became an HR trainer and executive for ITT Services Industries, Berwind and Comshare. Blumberg also taught business management classes to corporate executives in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
In 1982, he moved to Atlanta and started Vertex Management and Specifics Inc., human resources consulting firms to the IT industry. He also published the book “Finders Keepers,” an experiential guide for information technology managers, in 1991.
When the Men’s Health & Wellness Center was founded in 2007 by the surgeon who performed his prostate cancer procedure, Blumberg was asked to serve on the executive board of the Sandy Springs nonprofit. Two years later, he became the center’s executive director, a position he held until his death.
“He was a strong advocate for men knowing their numbers – their height, weight, BMI, cholesterol, blood pressure and PSA,” said his son Stephen Blumberg of Annapolis, Md. “Men so often don’t go to the doctor and think of themselves as invincible. He wanted men to know that they could be masculine and still be concerned about their health for themselves, their families and the people around them.”
During his tenure with the center, Blumberg helped plan various events, including the annual men’s health expo, Bowl4Dad, the Dash4Dad 5K and the Men’s Health Gala, the center’s largest annual fundraiser.
“Everything Joe did, he did all in,” said his friend and former neighbor Chaz Cone of Dunwoody. “I will miss our conversations. I learned more about prostate cancer than I ever wanted to know. He wanted everyone to know that early diagnosis is the thing.”
Over the years, Blumberg enjoyed dancing, hot-air ballooning, traveling, art, collecting fine wine and tooling around in his “Dark Bowling Green Metallic” Corvette Coupe.
He will be remembered for his smile, optimistic outlook and love for people, especially his family, friends said. An avid golfer, he always took his clubs on the family’s biennial Thanksgiving trips to the beach.
“Joe was a true fighter and hero to all of us,” said Roger Vernier, vice chairman of the men’s health center’s executive board.
In addition to his son Stephen, Blumberg is survived by his wife Cathleen Blumberg, his daughter Cathy Talley of Marietta, his sons Jay Schleusener of Nashville and Mark Blumberg of Longmeadow, Mass., and seven grandchildren.
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