The death of a colleague is always upsetting. The death of a beloved colleague is overwhelming. The Health Care Management family at Clayton State is mourning the passing of Dr. Sandy Weinberg. Sandy died most unexpectedly a couple of weeks ago and we still cannot grasp the reality of his death.
Sandy was a man of great accomplishments. He was recognized as a worldwide preeminent scholar in the areas of pharmaceutical and medical devices regulations. He was frequently called upon by international companies to be a consultant and to present lectures at international conferences. He wrote many books and innumerable articles on regulatory procedures which greatly enhanced consumer protection and corporate compliance for medical devices and pharmaceuticals. And yet his greatest attributes were his humility and willingness to help others. He devoted countless hours to the Boy Scouts of America and served this organization as a board member at the national, state, and local levels.
Sandy was also a man of great intellect and just plain old common sense. I relied heavily on his insights and judgment and came to appreciate his down to earth perspectives on most topics. I can remember dealing with a rather sticky internal political issue within the College and followed my usual approach of discussing it with Sandy. After we brainstormed it for a while, Sandy said to me that while this issue seems so important to us both, what is really important is that he has really cute grandchildren. We then went into the College meeting where I addressed the faculty and attempted to convince them of our Department’s position. After laying out our case and putting forth what I thought were convincing arguments, I concluded by stating that notwithstanding all of my fervent positions what is ultimately most important is that Sandy has really cute grandchildren. The two of us then just looked at each other and burst out laughing. The rest of the faculty just looked at us very quizzically and probably wondered if we had just slipped into senility. But, Sandy’s point was made – keep life in perspective and focus on what is truly important: family and friends.
He served as our coffee break pied piper. Usually in mid-afternoon when we were all busily occupied with academic stuff, he would make the rounds and collect us one by one to go over to the University Center and have coffee. We would sit, drink coffee, and discuss a variety of subjects. It was always renewing and allowed us to deepen our collegiality. He loved people and knew by name everyone from the president down to the security folks, cafeteria staff, and maintenance and housekeeping.
We will fill his position, but we will never replace Sandy Weinberg. His generosity of spirit was a gift to our Program and he is a person that I thank God for putting into my life.
Clearly, this is not a typical Chair’s blog for the Exchange. There is no mention of AUPHA, or healthcare management or policy, or any academic issues. The reason for this is quite simple: the death of a cherished colleague puts many things in life in perspective. And, at this time reflection and remembrance are most important. Thank you.
Peter