The Honorable Norman S. Weinberg
The Honorable Norman S. Weinberg, lifelong resident of Brighton and a product of the Greatest Generation, died peacefully on March 6, in his 96th year. A devoted son, brother, husband, father and grandfather, his life and career reflected his bias for action, devotion to duty and passion for helping others. A confident and willing leader, he held himself and those around him to exacting standards, expecting and accepting only the highest level of character and effort. As a soldier, he excelled at organization, coordination and preparedness. As a legislator, attorney and member of the judiciary, his philosophy was to build relationships and work with people to establish consensus. As a parent and friend, he emphasized knowledge, virtue, humility and friendship as the pillars of a successful and fulfilling life. Always fair, unapologetically stern and never ruffled, he believed in integrity above all. He pushed himself the same way he pushed others, working hard, persevering, getting the job done – not for himself, but for those people and communities in need of the help and support that only he could deliver. Polite, witty, urbane and always well-dressed, in personality he was a throwback to another era, a simpler time when a bowl of soup cost a nickel and a man’s word and handshake really meant something. Well-read and possessing a sharp intellect, he could engage in deep and nuanced conversation on a broad range of issues of global and national significance. His vision, judgment, loyalty and unimpeachable character endeared him to Governors, Congressmen, Mayors and colleagues on the bench, at the bar and in the legislature. He lived a remarkable life, and, not surprisingly, his energy, drive, intellect, wit, confidence and magnanimity will be missed by all who knew him.
Norman Weinberg emerged from humble beginnings to accomplish great things – achievements that, in large part, continue to benefit the residents of Allston-Brighton and citizens of the Commonwealth: establishment of a new home for the West End House Boys & Girls Club, greening of the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, sustainable funding for programs to support Massachusetts veterans, construction of housing for the elderly, engagement of local colleges and universities in the life of the community and passage of seminal legislation to benefit tenants and consumers. Whether writ large or small, helping people, contributing to community – leading, mentoring, counseling, advising, advocating – was his life’s work. No task was too small or trivial; no responsibility or obligation was too large. If asked, he would not and could not say ‘no’. His work energized him and he thrived on getting things done – in Allston-Brighton, on Beacon Hill and in the South Pacific where he served during World War II. As he often said, “From beginning to end, I have been thrilled to be in on the action.”
Born on Idlewild Street (now Royce Road) to Ukrainian immigrants Mary and Myer Weinberg, Norman’s large extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins stretched to the North End, West End and Revere, at the time heavily populated by immigrants from Eastern Europe. Always an avid reader and conscientious student, Norman attended local elementary schools. He was a member of the first graduating class of the Thomas Edison School in 1933, after which he entered English High School. Leaving Boston for the first time in 1936, he matriculated to The College of William & Mary in the sleepy pre-war hamlet of Williamsburg, Virginia. A member of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity, he enjoyed college for the intellectual challenge and opportunity for independence. During high school and college, summers found Norman in Bethlehem, New Hampshire as a bellman and busboy at the Hotel Sinclair, a kosher resort that drew visitors from Canada New York and New England.
Returning to Boston at the dawn of World War II, Norman joined a surveying crew supporting construction of the Charlestown Navy Yard. Enlisting in the Army shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Norman entered military service as a private at Ft. Devens. Assigned to the Army Air Corps, his wartime service took him to the far corners of the United States and eventually the South Pacific. Following intensive training on the B-29 Superfortress at The Boeing Company in late-1944, Norman and his unit, the Ninth Bomb Group, travelled to Tinian, a small atoll in Marinas Islands. Norman spent the remainder of the war on Tinian, where he served as the Ninth Bomb Group’s Chief Maintenance and Engineering Officer, supervising several hundred mechanics and support staff responsible for the daily maintenance and operational readiness of 50 B-29 aircraft. From February – September 1945, B-29 aircraft under his supervision flew 2,000 combat missions and 32,000 flight hours with 93% effectiveness. His commanding officer quickly recognized his leadership potential and contributions to the success of Pacific bombing campaign, promoting Norman from 2nd lieutenant to captain and later to major.
After returning from the war, Norman decided upon a career in law and politics. Taking advantage of the G.I. Bill for returning soldiers, Norman completed his law degree in two years at Boston University, finishing 4th in a class of 100. Shortly thereafter, he entered practice with two law school colleagues, Richard Wien and Albert Rosen. Mr. Wien left after a few years and the firm, known as Weinberg & Rosen, continued the practice of law at 20 Beacon Street until 1981. Norman enjoyed the practice of law, as it enabled him to use his intellectual energy to think through complicated issues, solve problems and bring equality to people and institutions that had been treated unfairly. Norman was particularly enamored by the law of evidence, a subject for which he authored many articles and several chapters in legal texts.
Intrigued by politics and seeking an opportunity to contribute to the Allston-Brighton community, Norman made his first run for public office in September 1952. Campaigning tirelessly door-to-door, he finished first in a crowded primary field. In November 1952 Norman, won a seat in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, an office he would hold for the next 26 years. The State House was Norman’s second home and he thrived on the give-and-take of the legislative process. Yet, for Norman, politics and the legislative process were a means to an end: an opportunity to enrich the lives of the people he served. A quiet but steady contributor, Norman sponsored a substantial body of progressive social legislation in the areas of tenants’ rights, consumer protection, housing, veterans’ benefits, healthcare policy, education, environmental protection and judicial process. Norman’s most significant legislative achievement was the establishment of rent control laws designed to protect elderly and lower income citizens. Among the highlights of Norman’s political career was his attendance at the 1960 presidential nominating convention where he pledged his support to Sen. John F. Kennedy.
Following his retirement from the Massachusetts legislature, Norman was appointed to the bench by Gov. Edward King in November 1981. Taking his seat as Associate Justice of the Brighton District Court, he traveled throughout eastern Massachusetts, often sitting on criminal cases in Chelsea, East Boston, South Boston, Roxbury and Lynn. Through his many years on the bench, he established a close and enduring relationship with state and local law enforcement, county prosecutors and District Court personnel. Gracious and impartial, he believed that beyond protecting society, the purpose of the judicial process was to reform and rehabilitate those who had broken the law.
Ultimately forced to retire from the bench due to his age and budgetary restrictions, he joined with several judicial colleagues to establish the New England Association for Mediation and Arbitration or NEAMA. For 15 years, NEAMA worked closely with local attorneys to resolve complex civil litigation, in the process gaining an impeccable reputation for thoroughness and impartiality.
Throughout his long life, Norman’s greatest passion was the West End House, an organization with which he first became affiliated at age 11 in 1930. Spending time at the West End House Camp in Maine and the Club’s first facility on Blossom Street, he developed lifelong relationships with Jimmy Smith, Manny Brown, Barney Yanofsky, George Kane, Michael Cataldo and other West Enders. His association with his friends and colleagues from the West End House provided a lifetime of memories and personal fulfillment. The West End House is also the source of Norman’s greatest accomplishment: the establishment of the Boys and Girls Club in Allston in 1971. For 20 years following the demise of Boston’s West End, the organization sought a permanent home and a place to re-establish its core mission. Working closely with community leaders and fellow legislators, Norman secured a site and the funding needed to construct a state-of-start facility on the edge of Ringer Playground in Allston. Today, the West End House is a thriving organization, serving 1,500 boys and girls from across the City of Boston, transforming the lives of and providing leadership and educational opportunities for the children of immigrants, as it has done since 1906.
While Norman’s passing represents the end of an era, his memory will live on through his contributions to his Country and community. His vision, energy, selfless effort, loyalty and values are reflected in the people he mentored, the legislation he sponsored, the causes he advanced and the institutions he developed. His passion for people and community will be long remembered among his surviving friends and colleagues and the boys and girls of the West End House who share his determination and ambition for a better life.
Norman greatly admired former President and fellow Mason, Harry Truman, with whom he met during the 1948 presidential campaign. Norman admired President Truman’s courageous decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan and his support for the rebuilding of Europe following World War II. Norman’s favorite words from President Truman reflected his own philosophy of leadership: ‘Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.’
Norman’s survivors include his wife of almost 66 years, June (Fine); his children – James and Denise Weinberg, Nancy and Carl Sheffres, and Joan and Matthew Hayes; and his six grandchildren – Meryl and Robert Hayes, Michelle and Erica Sheffres, and Todd and Matthew Weinberg; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
In addition to his current position as Clerk of the Board of Directors of the West End House, Norman was a board member of the Vocational Adjustment Center and a proud member of The Consolidate Lodge, A.F. & A.M.; Jewish War Veterans, Post 211; Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 669; The American Legion, John F. Kennedy Post 17; B.P.O.E., Lodge 2199; the Allston Civic Association, and the Boston and Massachusetts Bar Associations.
Services at the Sharon Memorial Park Chapel, 43 Dedham St., Sharon, MA on Sunday, March 22, 2015 at 2 pm. Memorial observance at the home of Joan and Matthew Hayes on Sunday, March 22 from 5-8 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations in Judge Weinberg’s memory may be made to the West End House, 105 Allston St., Allston, MA 02134.