Jeffrey M. Wiesen

Jeffrey M. Wiesen, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away on July 22, 2022. He was born on May 2, 1945 to Harold and Elsie (Witzling) Wiesen in Brooklyn, New York. After an early childhood of stickball and rooting for the Dodgers, his family moved to Norwalk, CT in 1957. It was there that he met Elaine Zabelle, a sixth grade classmate who would later become his high school sweetheart. They continued dating through college with Jeff hitchhiking from MIT to visit Elaine in upstate New York.  They were married in 1967 and recently celebrated their 55th anniversary. After graduation, Jeff attended Yale Law School.

After law school, and an interlude in Colorado serving in the Air National Guard, Jeff and Elaine settled in the Boston area, living in Lexington for almost 50 years.  Jeff started as an associate at Mintz Levin in 1971, rising to the role of Managing Partner in the mid-1990s. Early in his career, one of the partners needed someone who could “speak the language” of scientists starting companies and went to Jeff because he graduated from MIT.  This was the beginning of the biotechnology revolution and Jeff’s leadership role would span over 40 years. He advised companies from their founding through public offerings and commercialization of numerous life-saving products.

Jeff was a lover of fast sports cars, an enthusiastic dancer at his children’s weddings and grandchildren’s B’nai Mitzvahs, and an insatiable traveler. He and Elaine visited all seven continents, with trips to Africa, New Zealand, Australia, China, Vietnam, Antarctica, and many other places. His favorite trips were the ones taken with his children and grandchildren where he spent time with them building sand castles, traveling through Israel, and riding roller coasters. Closer to home, Jeff and Elaine spent many happy summers at their home on Cape Cod.

Jeff is survived by his wife Elaine; sister Eve (John) Coates, children Daryl (Kathleen Lenihan) and Rachel (Toby) Kahan; grandchildren Ben, Hannah, and Valerie Kahan and Maeve, Clare, and Michael Wiesen.

Funeral services will be held at 11 am, Monday July 25, at Temple Emunah in Lexington. In lieu of flowers gifts may be made to The Bridge Project at MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research in memory of Jeffrey Wiesen or your favorite charity.