April 7, 2020

It is with deep sadness that we are sharing the news that our dear colleague, David Santiago Massuh, Senior Accountant for Financial Reporting and Grants at the Guttmacher Institute, passed away on April 1, 2020 from COVID-19.

“The Guttmacher staff, leadership and Board extend our deepest condolences to David’s wife Gloria and his family and loved ones,” says Guttmacher President and CEO, Dr. Herminia Palacio. “His unexpected, tragic death due to this pandemic leaves a painful void in our Guttmacher community, and especially our Finance & Administration team. We will miss him enormously.”

David joined Guttmacher in 2011, quickly establishing himself as a highly respected and crucial member of the Institute’s Finance & Administration Division. Through grants management, audit management and budget tracking, David contributed greatly to Guttmacher’s financial success and stability. His colleagues have expressed particular appreciation for the dedication, patience and diligence he showed when working with project managers from across the Institute during the budgeting and budget revision processes.

“The news of David’s passing has left all of us devastated, and our hearts go out to Gloria in this difficult time,” says Maureen Burnley, Vice President for Finance & Administration. “It’s hard to express how much our team and others at the Institute will miss David. He wasn’t just a colleague but a dear friend to many here.”

David, called Santiago by his closest friends, was born in Argentina and was the eldest of three brothers. He later emigrated to Canada, where he obtained an MBA from McGill University, before relocating to the United States. David was fiercely proud of his Argentinian heritage and was a passionate soccer fan. He also deeply loved his two dogs, Bingo and Barbas, and together with Gloria, worked tirelessly to rescue and foster dogs and cats in need of a loving home.