Alan Robert Weitzman

Alan Weitzman, a leader in the Baltimore/Washington advertising community and founder of Weitzman Agency, passed away December 30, 2025 at the age of 89 leaving behind a legacy shaped by imagination, generosity, and an unshakable faith in the power of the written word.

The arc of his professional life began, improbably and perfectly, with a book. After reading David Ogilvy's Confessions of an Advertising Man, Alan closed the cover and said, without bravado, "I can do that." And he did.

When he founded Weitzman Advertising in 1974, Alan didn't merely open an agency; he created a gathering place for originality. Alan lived by a simple, powerful belief that advertising must touch the heart before it can persuade the mind.

As executive creative director, he built a culture that celebrated curiosity, wit, and heart. He had an uncanny ability to spot raw talent and an even greater gift for encouraging it. The creative team he assembled-affectionately known as the "Weitzmaneers"-all shared his guiding philosophy.

That belief directed the course of the agency and helped shape the industry itself. Under Alan's leadership, Weitzman Advertising became the first agency in Washington, D.C. to receive a Gold CLIO Award, a milestone that opened the door to more than 100 major honors, including ANDY Awards and New York Film Festival distinctions. His insight and creativity earned him the respect of peers nationwide; he was sought out by TIME and BusinessWeek, contributed to The Profit Makers, and in 2014 was awarded the Silver Medal from the American Advertising Federation, recognizing a career that left a permanent imprint on the creative landscape.

Yet advertising was only one expression of Alan's imagination. He was a photographer with an eye for the decisive moment, a songwriter with a storyteller's soul, a lyricist, a guitarist, and a musician who recorded multiple albums with professional artists. His love of music led him to the Nashville Songwriters Association and the Country Music Association. In June 2024, he held his final photography exhibition, INK, a fitting culmination of a lifetime spent understanding light, shadow and people, many who were invisible to the rest of the community. His website, weitzmansightandsound.com, remains a window into the many ways he thought, felt, and created.

Born in London, England on November 16, 1936, to Winette Jane Fabert and Robert Marie Pierre Maillot, he later took the surname of his stepfather, Samuel Weitzman. His early years were shaped by the upheaval of World War II-years he remembered with startling clarity. He told stories of playing in bombed out rubble, being evacuated to the countryside with other children, wearing a Mickey Mouse gas mask, and watching his bedroom window explode from a nearby blast. These memories never left him; they sharpened his sense of life's fragility, the importance of family, and his appreciation for beauty wherever he found it.

In April 1951, Alan immigrated to the United States. He joined the U.S. Army in 1954 and served for three years, often saying it was there he met America. Afterward, he worked in sales, searching-without quite knowing it-for a vocation that would unite his intellect and imagination.

Though America became home, England never loosened its hold on him. Alan returned often to reconnect with family and explore his roots. A devoted member of London's Naval and Military Club-also known as the "In & Out"-he considered it his second home and a place of deep comfort.

Giving back mattered to Alan as much as public success. He served as Chairman of the Board of Goodwill of Greater Washington, D.C., stepping down in 1978, and for many years donated new bicycles to Toys 4 Tots and other local children's organizations. In Annapolis, he volunteered at the Stanton Center, delighting children each Christmas with festive "crackers," and generously shared his marketing wisdom with nonprofit organizations, always pro bono and always without seeking credit.

Later in life, Alan felt drawn toward a different kind of community-one rooted in contemplation and faith. About ten years ago, he discovered Springbank Retreat in Kingstree, South Carolina. There, among the nuns he adored, Alan served on the board as their self-described "savvy heathen," finding joy, peace, and enduring friendship. Springbank became not just a place he supported, but a place that sustained him.

For all his professional accomplishments, Alan's deepest pride was his family. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Day Weitzman, whom he lovingly called Daysy; their son Robert Weitzman (Tilden), and children from his earlier marriages, Tamara Weitzman, Colin Weitzman, and Hilary Weitzman; grandchildren Lucien Weitzman, Kaia Weitzman, and Jack Weitzman; his brother Leon Weitzman (Vera); and his sister Lindy Reef.

He cherished family visits and long summer days by the water, often capturing family moments behind the camera. Time spent at the family farm Bishopton brought him back to the joys of childhood and memories of his youth in England. Always enthusiastic and supportive of everyone's creative endeavors, Alan was especially supportive of Day when she went to cooking school-an enthusiasm rewarded for years at the dinner table.

Alan Weitzman imagined boldly, loved deeply, and followed his curiosity wherever it led. He made ideas matter, turned work into art, and lived a life rich in meaning. By any measure, it was a life well lived.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on March 28, 2026, at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 333 Dubois Road, Annapolis, Maryland. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Springbank Retreat, 1345 Springbank Road, Kingstree, SC 29556, or to Annapolis Community Foundation (write "Friends of Stanton Center Youth Programs" on Memo line), 26 Franklin Street, Annapolis, MD 21401.