Peter Morenstein

April 10, 1940 - November 14, 2025

Peter Morenstein
04/10/1940 - 11/14/2025
Peter Morenstein, longtime San Francisco artist, master craftsman, and founder of Cirecast Foundry, passed away surrounded by family.
Born in New York, Peter met the love of his life, Susan, and together they drove across the country during the Summer of Love, eventually settling in San Francisco, where they built a partnership that lasted more than 60 years.
In 1970, Peter founded Cirecast, a renowned metal casting and fabrication shop recognized for its restoration and custom reproduction of architectural hardware for municipal buildings and estates throughout the United States, including prominent San Francisco sites such as City Hall and the San Francisco Zoo.
A rare expert in lost-wax casting and 19th-century pattern making, Peter mastered the intertwined disciplines of art and science that shaped his craft. His passion was not only to create, but to preserve knowledge and pass on the traditions of historic design, fabrication, and hand work to future generations. He often reflected that a craftsman's hand-eye coordination is "a state of grace," and he devoted his life to honoring that truth.
Peter was a painter, chef, gardener, animal lover, jazz enthusiast, a black belt in karate, lifelong tinkerer, and a deep thinker who relished long philosophical conversations. He embraced both individuality and connection, intellectual curiosity and a profound love of family.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Susan Morenstein; his son, Josh Morenstein; his daughter-in-law, Melissa Little; and his cherished twin granddaughters, Tessa and Chloe Morenstein. His extended family remains in New York, and he leaves behind a large chosen family of lifelong friends and fellow artisans in the Bay Area.
Peter will be remembered for his creativity, generosity of spirit, humor, and the unmistakable way he lived exactly as himself. He is deeply loved and will be profoundly missed.
The family is planning a Celebration of Life gathering in the beginning of the new year.