Obituary of Herbert M. Greenberg

Herbert M. Greenberg Rochester: September 3, 2008 at age 83. Herb was an author, educator and psychologist. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He is survived by wife, Patricia Willis; children David (Cyndie Durham) Greenberg; Laurie (Alberto Vargas) Greenberg; Jennifer (John) Pacowta, Rebekah (Mark) Fedorich and their mother, Elizabeth Greenberg; stepson Michael (Celeste) Willis; and grandchildren. Herb was a spry old bastard, full of vigor, humor and spirit. Born in New York City on November 16, 1924, he was raised in the Bronx where he enjoyed Van Cortland Park and became a nature lover and photographer. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School with the Class of 1942 and was poised to become a scientist before the war broke out. Herb enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as an infantryman in Europe from 1944-46. He returned from World War II with an overwhelming desire to eliminate war and violence and changed his field of study to psychology. In 1948 Herb married Phyllis S. Zacovitch. After completing a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Chicago he taught at the University of Iowa in preschool and parent education. Wanting applied work and ‘action’ he took a position as a supervisor in the Department of Parent Education and Child Development with the Rochester City School District. These 11 years were a very exciting and creative time for Herb; he built a series of programs for children, parents & teachers. Also in Rochester, Herb was director of Action for a Better Community; he helped found the Atkinson School and taught at the University of Rochester, then at Oswego and Buffalo State Universities. He wrote & published Teaching with Feeling. He was active in opposing the Vietnam War. Herb married Elizabeth Ermer in 1970. They homesteaded in the mountains of North Carolina and then owned an avocado ranch in Fallbrook, California. Still in California, Herb worked as a preschool teacher, a consultant and authored two additional books: To Educate with Love and Coping with Job Stress. Herb and his family returned to Rochester where he was a consulting psychologist and teacher. He married Patricia Willis in 1992. Until nearly 80 years old, Herb co-facilitated a program for men involved with domestic abuse, still intent on diminishing violence & inequality in the world. Herb was a very supportive person in his relations with others and created a loving, caring atmosphere wherever he went. Though he tackled difficult problems in his life, he grew and learned and changed in his response to them. His optimism, positive attitude and good humor always came to the fore. He will be remembered by the many whose lives he touched. A Celebration of Herb's Life will take place on Sunday, October 26, 2008 at 1 PM at Stewart Lodge in Mendon Ponds Park. Click here for directions to Mendon Ponds Park. Click here for a detailed map to the Stewart Lodge. Home Rochester, New York Birthplace New York, New York