Stephen A. Weinstein
Stephen “Steve” A. Weinstein, 86, died on Aug. 3, 2016, in Princeton, N.J., two months short of his 87th birthday and two months short of the 65th anniversary of his marriage to Marcia (née Siskind), who he knew from childhood.
A passionate journalist and graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism who parlayed his writing and typing skills into a desk job in the army in Germany during the Korean War, Steve wanted to work as a foreign correspondent for The New York Times. Instead, he found a home in business journalism, mainly at Fairchild Publications, where he worked mainly as the editor of Supermarket News, with stints at Footwear News and Women’s Wear Daily. He later worked as an editor at Progressive Grocer.
Through his work at Supermarket News and the professional relationships he established with the presidents and CEOs of numerous food industry corporations, in 1985 Steve was invited to help establish FICAH (Food Industry Crusade Against Hunger), a food-industry NGO focused on fostering self-help, sustainable solutions to ending hunger around the world. Already passionate travelers who spent their lives wandering the world — including being among the first foreigners to travel to China and Vietnam after they opened their doors, who climbed over the Himalayas into Tibet and Ladakh from India, where they went often, arrived with their children in Kenya on the day that Tom Mboya was assassinated and proceeded to drive through East Africa, and went to Afghanistan during a brief window of calm — Steve and Marcia also traveled for FICAH to numerous locations in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, and New Guinea, to check on sponsored projects.
Not only was Steve a well-respected journalist, but he also wrote poetry filled with love, respect and humor. He could always be counted on to write a personal poem for special occasions for friends and family. And for every one of 64 years, he wrote a poem of love and enduring devotion to his wife, Marcia, on her birthday and on their anniversary. The poetry may have been passed down in the family from Steve’s father, George Weinstein, a president of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards, and member of the New York State Board of Regents who could also be counted on to write poetry filled with both love and humor for friends and family. Most recently, Steve published a book, “She Made Me Do It,” about the many travel experiences he and Marcia shared.
Despite suffering from a rare and little-known autoimmune disorder for 20 years, Steve continued to live his life to the fullest, travel, play golf, discover a love of opera, and enjoy the pleasures of the North Fork of Long Island and New York City. During this time, he and Marcia also made a new life for themselves on the North Fork in an octagonal house in the woods on a bluff overlooking Long Island Sound, where they joined the North Fork Reform Synagogue and made wonderful new friends.
Steve was a man of integrity, passion, love of learning, dry wit, generosity, wisdom, humor and bad puns, a voracious reader (especially anything about history), and open (sometimes dragged kicking and screaming) to change. He was a humble and gentle man who could, at the same time, be stubborn and fight passionately for social justice. He loved his family deeply, and his love and devotion to Marcia was inspirational.
He is survived by his wife, Marcia Weinstein; his children, Julie, Joel and Kim Weinstein; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The family has chosen not to have a funeral; a memorial service will be scheduled within a few months. Donations in his name may be sent to the Southern Poverty Law Center or Heifer Foundation.
This is a paid notice.
