Michael (Mike) Joseph Weinberger, 64, died January 25, after bravely battling lymphoma for 15 months. All who met him were moved by Mike’s warmth, intelligence, creativity, integrity, sense of justice, and sharp and absurd sense of humor.
A 1972 graduate of BGHS, Mike earned a BA in Economics from BGSU in 1977 and went on to a 32-year career at UC-Berkeley. His love of handball brought him to the Department of Recreational Sports where he started working part-time and quickly rose to being Director, a position he called “the best job on campus.” As Director, Mike pioneered IT in the 1980s, networking PCs and computerizing the budget process, both rare at the time. He was creative and adaptive, expanding revenue sources, upgrading facilities and expanding access to health, wellness and recreational activities for the entire campus community. The annual campus welcome event, Caltopia, was Mike’s brainchild, as was the B2H cross-campus collaborative custom-designed software, a joint project of IT professionals at UC-Berkeley, UC-Davis and UCLA. B2H is now used throughout the UC system for a wide range of services. Mike also pioneered hydration stations on campus for filling reusable water bottles, that are now commonly found nationwide. Mike received multiple campus awards, including the Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff Award. He was known for his warm and inspirational leadership, his sense of fairness, constructive and respectful supervision, and his sincere commitment to the well-being and development of staff.
Mike enjoyed reading history books and Foreign Affairs. He loved the humor collection in Funny Times, and gifted the newspaper to his parents and siblings. He enjoyed the old-timey humor and music of KPIG Radio, as well as Oakland A’s baseball, Cal football, Morris dancing, playing the fiddle, and hiking in Bay Area parks.
Mike was a loving and attentive husband, father, brother, son, and friend. He is forever in the hearts of his wife of 39 years, Julie, and his daughter Kathleen (fiancé Andrew Metrick). He is also missed by his mother, Kathleen Natalino, Akron; step-mother, Helene Weinberger, Bowling Green; and his surviving siblings: Elizabeth Phillips, MD; Mary Kay (Mike) Bishop, NH; Stephen (Chris) Weinberger, MA; Ann Weinberger (Rosco Rouse), NC; Margaret Weinberger, Bowling Green; Barbara Weinberger (Kurt Kleinmann), TX; Rosemary Weinberger (fiancé Greg Curtis), MA; Teresa Weinberger, Akron; Janet Weinberger, AL; and 3 step-siblings: Sandy (Chuck) Kern, MI; Sherry Spears, Findlay; and Rick (Stephanie) Chaney, WV. Mike was also a beloved uncle to Howard, Michelle, Kwame, Monica, David, Harolyn, Maura, Peter, Cameron, Elisabeth and Anna; and step-nieces and nephew Cara, Cristin, Callie, Caitlin, and Mason, as well as 6 great-nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father Morris J. Weinberger, step-father Agostino Natalino, brother-in-law Harold Phillips, and his older sister Linda Weinberger.
The family is very grateful for the expert and compassionate care that Mike received during his illness at Alta Bates Summit Hospital, UCSF Medical Center, and the Berkeley Comprehensive Cancer Center. Donations in Mike’s memory would be welcome at any of these or any park. A celebration of Mike’s life will be held on Sunday, April 28 in the Simpson Garden Meeting Room, beginning at 4:00 pm, with food and fellowship immediately following.
