Allen S. Weinrub's Obituary
Al Weinrub was a truly extraordinary person. On August 30, 2023, Al completed the circle of life, at the age of 79 after a 12-month battle with cancer. He passed away peacefully at home with his beloved wife Edith, family, and friends at his side. Al will be greatly missed for his intellect, frankness, kindness, and his dry sense of humor he never held back from those around him.
He was born in Buffalo, New York on October 28, 1943. Throughout his life Al marveled at the mysteries of science and the beauty of music ranging from Mozart to Otis Redding. As an adult, Al was a driven person — always preferred unsolvable problems over easy problems. He wanted a gain a better understanding of what contributed to a problem and how a particular solution would impact society, in the process of solving the problem.
He completed his undergraduate education at Cornell College in engineering physic and managed to receive his doctorate in applied physic from Harvard University while co-founding Science for the People. After completing his education, in 1974, he moved to San Jose and then settle down in Oakland, California.
Al met Edith Jenkins in Oakland in 1985 and were married in February 1990. During their marriage they loved traveling. They traveled to several Mediterranean countries, Caribbean Islands, Cuba, Czech Republic, Russia, and China. Al always offered Edith a set of justice lenses to enhance her understanding of why things do or do not happen in this world. They had one child, Brandon Jenkins-Weinrub who they both loved dearly and later deceased in 2019.
While he spent 25 years working with Fortune 500 computer technology companies, Al became a leader of the National Writers’ Union Bay Area Chapter and subsequently a First Vice President of the national union. After his retirement, he devoted himself to the climate crisis and to the democratization of energy. He was recognized in April 2023 as a Lifelong Energy Justice Champion by the California Alliance for Community Energy. His fifty years of advocacy work spanned across the labor, anti-war, human rights, and climate justice movements in the U.S and its intersections with political struggles.
Al is survived by his spouse Edith. His parents, Joseph George Weinrub and Tillie Weinrub, are decease. Al was one of four siblings: Sheila Trossman, Evelyn Lusthaus and Mark Weinrub. Al was the second oldest and the tallest member of his family.
The Weinrub family will be holding a service at Chapel of the Chimes on September 23,2023 at 1:00 PM. The family requests donations to the Al Weinrub Justice Fund in lieu of flowers: https://minutefund.umass.edu/project/38424. They’d also like to thank the cancer team at Kaiser Medical Center for their ongoing support.
What’s your fondest memory of Allen?
What’s a lesson you learned from Allen?
Share a story where Allen's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Allen you’ll never forget.
How did Allen make you smile?