Bernard Charles “Bud” Annenberg died at home in Jupiter, Florida, on October 21, 2026, at 8:00 a.m., at the age of 98, with his wife, Gloria, son, Alan, and daughter, Lynn, at his bedside. His life was shaped by family, enduring friendships, and a love of wind and water. A swimmer, competitive sailor, Army veteran, businessman, and devoted Ohio State alumnus, he brought strong convictions and an adventurous spirit to a life spanning nearly a century.
Early life, Ohio State, and military service
Bud was born on September 28, 1928, at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady, New York, the only child of Ruth Gold Annenberg and Albert Alan Annenberg. He spent his early years in Schenectady and Jamaica, New York, before his family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where his parents raised him in Avondale. Later, his father purchased the Middletown News Agency on Reynolds Street, and the family moved to Middletown, Ohio.
Bud’s enthusiasm for the outdoors began early. He became an Eagle Scout in 1945, played center on the Middletown High School football team, and enjoyed baseball and swimming. Childhood summers at Lake George and Raquette Lake in New York helped establish a connection to the water that would last throughout his life.
After graduating from Middletown High School in 1946, Bud attended The Ohio State University, earning an A.B. in history with a minor in biology in 1950. He swam middle-distance freestyle on Ohio State’s 1949 NCAA championship swimming and diving team, earning Varsity O recognition. He also participated in ROTC and belonged to Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity. During his summers, he served as head of aquatics at Raquette Lake Boys Camp. His devotion to Ohio State became a lifelong commitment, including 68 years as a football season-ticket holder.
Although interested in pursuing medicine, Bud’s path led to military service. Following training at Fort Knox, he served in the United States Army for three years, attaining the rank of first lieutenant before separating from service in 1954. He served in the Medical Service Corps with the 72nd Heavy Tank/Armor Regiment, with assignments in Japan and Korea, including eight months in Korea. He was also a member of the 38th Parallel Medical Society of Korea.
His father, known as Al, died in 1953. Following his military service, Bud joined his mother, Ruth, in running the Middletown News Agency.
Family and business
Bud and his wife, Gloria, raised two children, Alan and Lynn. Gloria was the rock of the family. During Alan’s and Lynn’s formative years, she devoted herself to raising them and brought a steadying calm to the household. She later expanded the family’s business interests by opening and operating Readmore Bookstores, complementing Bud’s wholesale business.
In 1988, Bud sold the Middletown News Agency and Readmore Bookstores and retired.
Sailing
Outside work and family, competitive sailing was Bud’s great passion. He joined the Cowan Lake Sailing Association in 1956, later serving as vice commodore and as commodore in 1996. For more than 50 years, he raced Highlanders 49 and 928, sharing time on the water with his wife, children, and friends. Sailing brought together much of what he enjoyed: competition, companionship, family, and the challenge of working with the wind.
Community, faith, and character
During his years in Middletown, Bud belonged to the Masonic Temple and served as president of the Jaycees. His Jewish faith and community also held an important place in his life. As a member of Isaac Wise Temple in Cincinnati, he found particular meaning and gratification in blowing the shofar during the High Holidays in 1998.
Bud was outgoing, strong-willed, and sometimes decidedly stubborn. He enjoyed meeting people, valued honesty, and believed that trust was earned. As a father, he was a disciplinarian who expected accountability and responsibility and made those expectations unmistakably clear. He always felt at home in nature and was tremendously loyal to his friends. In his later years, Bud faced heart disease, intractable arthritis, and cancer with the determination that characterized his life.
Bud loved his wife, Gloria; his children, Alan and Lynn, and their spouses, Jill and Rob; his grandchildren, Benjamin, Andrew, and Jordan; his step-granddaughter, Allison Pickens; Andrew’s wife, Jamie; and his great-granddaughter, Frankie.
An enduring connection
to the water
Bud and Gloria lived in Cincinnati before making Jupiter, Florida, their permanent home in 2021. His commitment to the Jupiter community included 20 years volunteering at Jupiter Medical Center and 24 years on the Board of Directors of the Jupiter Ocean Grande Condominium Association, where he also served as vice president.
In Jupiter, Bud continued to swim half a mile daily through age 97. When physical limitations finally kept him from swimming, he had to relinquish an activity he had loved since boyhood. His strength, however, was never measured only by what he could do physically, but also by his resolve in facing what he could no longer do.
The gift of Bud’s life was not simply its length, but the path he took—the family he and Gloria raised, the friendships he sustained, and the adventures they shared. In his later years, most mornings found him watching the sun rise over the ocean, still drawn to the water that had meant so much to him.
