Jonathan Weinstein

Jonathan Harris Weinstein, 67, of Austin, Texas and Castine, Maine died Saturday, August 6 in Austin, of cancer.

Jonathan was born on April 17, 1955 in Florence, Italy to Anne Kingsley Weinstein, a librarian and American historian, and Donald Weinstein, a Renaissance historian. Coming from a long line of broad-minded ministers, artists, and teachers on his mother's side, and studious, argumentative, and hard-working immigrants on his father's, Jonathan lived curiously, passionately, and with great good humor until his last day. He began and completed his public schooling in Highland Park, New Jersey, with brief sojourns away when his father's scholarship took the family back to Florence and then to Berkeley, California. Rejecting the conventional path of college immediately following high school, Jonathan struck out on his own, landing on his feet in Austin, where he almost immediately started a promising business collecting and selling scrap metal. That effort led, over the next decade, to successful businesses in auto salvage (founding Automotive Recycling Inc.) and commercial real estate in Austin. Throughout these years of industry, Jonathan's singular personality, his fascination with all forms of transportation (especially classic Italian sports cars), and his abiding loyalty fostered important lifelong friendships. After retiring from auto salvage at the age of 49, Jonathan earned a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Texas at Austin in 2005.

The next step on the journey of his early retirement was to realize his lifelong dream of living near the sea and owning a sailboat. Through his ingenuity and persistence, he enabled his family to spend many happy summers in Castine, Maine, where he ultimately purchased a 1930 Alden ketch he named AFIKOMEN. He sailed it at every opportunity, assisted by whoever was brave enough to crew for him. Jonathan's personal charm and loyalty; his wit and curiosity about all things historical, nautical, geographical, and societal garnered him a second circle of devoted friends in Maine.

Jonathan later met his beloved (and immediately besmitten) wife, Jacqueline Thomas in Austin; and the two of them were rarely apart ever after. His first marriage, to Lidia Perez, ended in divorce, but resulted in two treasured and adoring children, Anna Weinstein Perez and David Weinstein Perez, both of Austin. Throughout the four and a half years since his cancer diagnosis, Jacquie made it her business to stay informed and—at critical junctures—to stay ahead of myriad treatments, diagnoses, and specialists—all to help keep him active and feeling well. Jonathan's children, mother, sister and brother-in-law, and countless friends were also committed to helping him through this experience with as little pain and as much enjoyment as possible.

Voluble and opinionated, Jonathan was also tolerant of and, often, deeply fond of people who disagreed with him. Tall and handsome, witty and wise, generous and sensible, he made an immediate and strong—usually positive, if slightly bemusing—impression on people, even if only meeting them in passing. To those who knew him well, his impressive physical stature and old-fashioned virtue made him something of a humble giant, always looking out for them, ever working to safeguard the future, and somehow never failing to see just what was needed next.

Jonathan Weinstein is survived and missed most grievously by Jacquie and by his children Anna and David. He is predeceased by his father, in 2015, and his mother, just this year. He also leaves behind his devoted and beloved sister, Elizabeth Weinstein, and her husband, Steven Shahan, of Tully, New York; his niece, Lydia Shahan, and nephew, Nathaniel Shahan; cousins all over; dozens of friends; and a dog he loved a lot named Theo. A memorial will be held at a later (and cooler) date in the fall, in Austin, and next summer in Castine.

Donations in his memory can be made to Moms Demand Action (https://momsdemandaction.org).