Dr. Martin D. Steinberg

Martin Disraeli Steinberg was born December 29, 1929, in Chicago, IL, to Dr. Meyer Jerome Steinberg, a physician and humanitarian, and Bess Levin Steinberg, a nurse and, later in life, volunteer manager of the Michael Reese Association Thrift Shop. Martin grew up in the Chicago area and lived in the city and its northern suburbs nearly his entire life. He was at the top of his class at New Trier High School and later excelled both in athletics (especially track) and academics at Northwestern and Purdue University, ultimately receiving his Ph.D. in Psychology.

A lifelong Cubs fan, folk music aficionado, and member of the high-IQ society Mensa, Martin worked in and managed personnel for the Continental Bank and Beltone before founding his own business as an industrial psychologist conducting outreach and executive search. Major clients over the years included Klein Tools and Abbott Labs.

He married Judith Weingart while in his 20s and they had two children before divorcing more than a decade later. He never remarried but had many long-term, loving relationships.

Extremely funny and kind, Martin held onto old friends (and books) for life. His passions included poetry (the man could recite Byron like nobody's business), music, books, European travel, crosswords, and ethnic food from around the world. He spoke bits of many languages and once boasted that he had been approached by people in various regions of the world initially as a countryman.

Martin was a talented musician with a beautiful singing voice; as a young man, he and his then-wife Judith recorded folk music duets that rivaled in quality the professionals of their time. He loved listening to barbershop harmonies and sang in a chorus for years, but his real fandom was for the folk group the Limeliters, whose music delighted him until his final days. He also enjoyed penning silly or reflective stories, poetry, and song lyrics, often for his children.

He is predeceased by his beloved younger sister, Judith Klausner, and survived by his two children, Adam Steinberg (Stephanie) and Jennifer Holland (John), as well as two grandchildren, Elliott and Jasper, all of whom he adored above all else.

Graveside service Wednesday at 10:30 AM at Westlawn Cemetery (Sect. B) 7801 W. Montrose, Norridge, IL 60706. Streaming online at Chicago Jewish Funerals. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, www.diabetes.org, or the Fred Hollows Foundation www.hollows.org/au/home (working to eliminate blindness around the world). Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Skokie Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com