Gerald C. "Jerry" Lubenow

1939 - 2020

Gerald Lubenow
November 14, 1939 - July 21, 2020
Jerry Lubenow

Gerald C. Lubenow was born in the off Broadway town of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, on November 14, 1939. He died in Berkeley, California, on July 21, 2020. In between those dates he lived a most remarkable life.

He was married to Joan Lubenow until her death in 2005. They had two children, Kristin and Michael, who both survive him along with their spouses and children. He is also survived by his partner for the last five years of his life, Carol Galvin.

Although Jerry left Sheboygan, on his national and international travels, Sheboygan never left him. He was a Harvard grad who spurned graduate school for a career as a journalist. He was the Chief of the Newsweek office in San Francisco for many years, interviewing and becoming friends with noted politicos, men and women about town, the art crowd and just plain friends from a tight group of fellow mid-westerners who inhabited the environs of North Beach in its prime. This was San Francisco from the late 1960's to the mid 1980's. It was a pastel, Mediterranean City full of young political leaders, artists, poets, professionals and others who (despite the Vietnam War) searched out the good vibes among its inhabitants. Jerry embodied the tenor of that time. He was charming, gracious and generous to all around him. He was non-judgmental about the proclivities of the life force which surrounded him in his professional and personal lives.

Jerry and his beautiful wife, Joan, had their own salon in their flat at the top of Lombard Street, before the curved ride up to Coit Tower. There, one enjoyed great food, lively discussions, sing-a-longs, pipped in music and dancing, and all that the good life has to offer. Hearts soared during those times. The laughter and good times went deep into the night. Serious bohemia spiked with surprise appearances by colorful riffraff. It was North Beach!

Jerry was the paterfamilias. Solid as a midwestern rock amidst the debris of the cacophony of voices going everywhere, he was the one to provide wise counsel to those concerned about world events and personal development. He enjoyed being argumentative and provocative among his circle of friends, even, occasionally being a righteous pain in the ass. But always, he was generous and charming. When he spoke, in soft tones, everyone listened. And, boy, could he carry a tune.

From his early life in Sheboygan, Jerry brought with him stories of capers with coppers and working in his father's restaurant. He never forgot the local professional basketball team, the Sheboygan Redskins, who played in the local high school gym at games he witnessed with his father.

He started his journalism career with Newsweek in the mid 1960's covering the Civil Right's Movement, the assassinations of all of the political leaders of the era (the Kennedys', Martin Luther King, Jr.) and George Wallace's ill fated Presidential campaign. He came to San Francisco in 1969 after a stint in Atlanta, as Newsweek's Bureau Chief. He covered the saga of the Patty Hearst kidnapping, Ronald Reagan's run for the White House (he was offered the job as Reagan's press secretary but that meant moving to Washington, D.C., which was too much for San Franciscans like Jerry and Joan) and all of the other noted political campaigns of those times. He was always a liberal, democrat, in his own beliefs, but he was a straight arrow as a professional journalist and became friends with politicians from all sides of the ideological spectrum. He ended his career with the thinktank, the Institute of Governmental Studies, a U.C. Berkeley organization.

As San Francisco changed and as his North Beach cohorts departed, so did Jerry and Joan. Where else to move but to Berkeley. There, on the south side of town, Jerry and Joan owned their first home in the Bay Area. Jerry cooked, gardened, played tennis, danced and became a noted handyman. The home became a jewel, still the Lubenow salon, but in the East Bay. His cohorts expanded to include the Berkeley intelligentsia from the University and its environs. Still great times at the Lubenow home on Benvenue until the untimely passing of Joan.

Jerry led a productive and meaningful life. His incredibly large circle of friends attest to his impact on others. Some people brighten your life more than others. Jerry was one of those people. He was gnarly, affectionate and challenging. A deeply solid friend. A mythically grand guy. Words can't express how much his life force will be missed. But the memories of those times will be carried forth by the people who surrounded him and called him, their friend.

"The road goes on forever and the party never ends……"


Jerry's family intends to hold a memorial when it is safe to gather and celebrate his life. In lieu of flowers please consider donating in his name to either the Alzheimer's Association: https://act.alz.org/
or the Center for Investigative Reporting:
https://www.revealnews.org/donate/donate-to-reveal/