Bernard Weinraub Obituary

WEINRAUB, Bernard Martin

Bernard Martin "Bernie" Weinraub. On May 7, 2016, Bernie died peacefully at home in Pasadena with family by his side from sudden complications of cancer. Bernie was born in Brooklyn, NY on December 31, 1938 and joked that his father swore that was the last time he ever saved him any money.

Bernie grew up in Brooklyn and received his BA from Brooklyn College, and his MA from Columbia University, both in History. He continued to study and teach history the rest of his life. He relished classroom discussions that taught and practiced the hard work of analyzing and understanding historical events, helping his students learn how to inform one's own actions and life in an historical context. He taught at college and high school levels and ended his 41 years of teaching at The Waverly School in Pasadena. He lived most of his life in New York and New England, but relished his last 18 years as a Californian, arriving in December 1998 with the last El Nino.

Having grown up in a dense city, Bernie loved the outdoors, its spacious beauty and wild challenges. He was a Certified Outdoor Leader through National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), and enjoyed sharing his enthusiasms with his family and young people. He sailed local waters and hiked and backpacked sections of the Long Trail in Vermont, Appalachian Trail and many byways of New England, Sierras and Coastal Mountains of California. He cycled with the Foothill Cycling Club, including many Century rides in Southern California and practiced the Olympic recurve bow in the Arroyo with Pasadena Roving Archers.

Bernie believed in justice, and in the struggle against injustice, believing it required heart and mind, and that it began with our daily encounters with others. And he loved jokes and laughter. He believed humor was how we live with the distance between the world as we dream it, and the world as it is.

Bernie is survived and missed by his wife, Leslie Rasmussen; his children David Weinraub (Melanie) of New York City, NY, Claire Boeck (Jerome) of Latham, NY, Daniel Weinraub of Burbank, CA and Sarah East (Clay) of Dallas, TX, and stepchildren, Daniel Rasmussen (Casey) of Altadena, CA and Julia Piskorski (Andrew) of Hollis, NH and seven wonderful grandchildren.

An informal gathering to celebrate Bernie's life will be held at 2:00 pm on May 29, 2016 at the residence located at 1185 Afton Street, Pasadena, California. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Bernie's favorite organizations, The Waverly School in Pasadena, California and Doctors without Borders Cabot and Sons, Pasadena