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Bruce Bastian, a co-founder of the WordPerfect Corporation, has passed away at the age of 76 in his home in Palm Springs. Bastian, who renounced his Mormon faith after coming out as gay, was a pioneer in the early days of personal computing, where WordPerfect was the dominant word processor of its time. Along with his business partner Alan Ashton, Bastian helped make computers more productive for everyday tasks in the 1980s and early ’90s.

Despite WordPerfect’s success, the company faced challenges when Microsoft’s Word began to rise in popularity. In 1994, Bastian and Ashton sold the company to Novell for $1.4 billion, ultimately leading to Corel acquiring the software later on. Since then, WordPerfect has maintained a loyal following in the legal world.

After leaving WordPerfect, Bastian became a philanthropist, supporting arts and cultural programs in Utah, as well as L.G.B.T.Q. causes. He felt betrayed by Ashton when the Mormon Church supported Proposition 8 in California, a ballot measure outlawing same-sex marriage. Bastian contributed $1 million to opposition efforts, feeling a sense of duty to protect his community.

Born in 1948, Bastian pursued a career in music education before transitioning to computer science. He married Clint Ford in 2018 and is survived by his four sons, two sisters, a brother, and 14 grandchildren. Bastian’s decision to come out publicly as gay was both terrifying and hopeful, representing a pivotal moment in his life that ultimately led him to find happiness and authenticity.

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