Bart W. Wise

Devoted Father and Friend

Bart W. Wise, Ph.D., J.D. passed away on 12/30/18 at the age of 54 after a heroic battle against pancreatic cancer. Bart’s courage, dignity, and grace in the face of such an oppressive foe was an inspiration. We will remember him for his immense love of family and friends, his scientific nature, his appreciation of history, basketball, and national parks, as well as his dry humor. Bart was a great connector of people; being in his fold meant being part of a bigger community. His love of music will continue to fill our home and hearts.  

Bart received an undergraduate degree from the Univ of Kansas, a Ph.D. in Biology from Carnegie Mellon Univ, completed a post-doc fellowship at the Univ. of Chicago, and then earned a J.D. from the Univ of California at Berkeley (Boalt). He was a patent attorney in the biotech industry, most recently as SVP of Legal Affairs at Dicerna Pharmaceuticals. Bart brought technical precision along with broader strategic thinking and an easy comradery to challenging work. 

Bart lived with his family in Alameda, CA for a decade before relocating to Lexington, MA in 2015. He treasured friends from many eras of this life and was proud to settle in New England, where he loved to be a host and tour guide. 

Bart is survived by his wife Nancy and their children, Tucker and Tessa (Lexington, MA), his mother Joyce (Springfield, MO), his sister Amy Legge (Raleigh, NC), and countless devoted family and friends. Bart was preceded in death by his father, George. Bart cared about health, justice, and nature, and we invite you to honor him with tributes established at the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, the ACLU, and Massachusetts Audubon.