Early and Family Life
Bruce Ivins was born, and spent his youth, in Lebanon, Ohio, a small town 30 miles northeast of Cincinnati. His parents were Thomas Randall Ivins and Mary Johnson (Knight) Ivins, and he was the youngest of three sons. His father, a pharmacist, owned a drugstore and was active in the local Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce, while his mother participated in the Parent-Teacher Association. The family went regularly to Lebanon Presbyterian Church, although Ivins was later a Catholic parishioner. It has been reported that his mother was violently abusive to her entire family, that she repeatedly tried to abort her pregnancy by physical trauma before giving birth to Bruce, and that he would eventually hear the story of the abortion attempts himself.
Avidly interested in science, Ivins was an active participant in extracurricular activities in high school, including National Honor Society, science fairs, the current events club, and the scholarship team all four years. He ran on the track and cross-country teams, worked on the yearbook and school newspaper, and was in the school choir and junior and senior class plays.
He was married to Diane Ivins for 33 years until his death, and they had two children. Diane Ivins was a full time parent who ran a daycare center out of the family's home. His wife, children, and brothers were all still alive at the time of his death; his parents were deceased.
Read more about this topic: Bruce Edwards Ivins
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