In Memoriam: Robert Zussman

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Robert Zussman, 76, professor emeritus of sociology, died Nov. 27 at his home in Northampton.

After obtaining his doctorate in 1982, Zussman taught at Columbia University for five years before moving to Stony Brook University in 1987. Ten years later he joined the faculty at UMass Amherst, where his wife, fellow sociologist and now-Professor Emerita Naomi Gerstel, had been teaching for 20 years. He remained at UMass until his retirement in 2014.

Zussman was the author and editor of a number of prize-winning books, including “Mechanics of the Middle Class,” about the political views of engineers, and “Intensive Care,” on ethical dilemmas and decisions in intensive care units, as well as several articles on what he called “autobiographical occasions,” when people are called upon to sum up their lives and accomplishments. For many years he also served as editor of the journal Qualitative Sociology.

A complete obituary, as published by the Daily Hampshire Gazette on Dec. 3, can be found on Legacy.com.

Note: A previous version of this story as included in the Dec. 5 Inside UMass newsletter misidentified the field and department in which Zussman taught during his tenure at UMass Amherst.