Joseph H. Rubinstein

Dr. Joseph Harris Rubinstein (1936-2024) passed away at the age of 87 on June 8, 2024. He met Heike Büchler, the love of his life, while working in New York City and living in Yonkers. He liked to say he came home to his friends throwing a party and found Heike sitting in his favorite chair. They were married for 55 years.

Joe grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, with his sister Judy and parents Morris and Anne Rubinstein, both immigrants from Eastern Europe. His father was a physician and mother a homemaker, both huge influences on his life. Joe attended the Rabbi Jacob Joseph Yeshiva and Stuyvesant High School. He had many amazing stories from his childhood, from roaming the streets of NYC in the 1940s and challenging his parents with his independent personality. At age 18, Joe joined the Army for three years before returning to New York City. Then ready to pursue academics, he earned a B.A., M.S., and Ph.D. in biology from New York University, completing his studies in 1969. During this time, Joe also did basic research in biochemistry and physiology at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research. After graduating, Joe stayed in New York City, and helped develop the Conceptually Oriented Program in Elementary Science (COPES) at New York University.

In 1972, Joe joined Open Court Publishing Company in LaSalle-Peru, Illinois. He served as a director of their math and science curriculum and he co-authored the Real Math program, an elementary and middle school math curriculum that used a new approach for learning math from real world experiences. The Real Math textbooks were used in schools nationwide for over 40 years.

In 1984 Joe joined the faculty of Coker College in Hartsville, South Carolina where he chaired the Education department for most of his 27-year tenure, retiring in 2011. Joe grew the department and started an evening education program providing adult students access to education. During his tenure at Coker, Joe advocated fiercely for improving education on a statewide level. Individual students were always his top priority. Even after retirement, Joe loved interacting with students, walking the college grounds and attending college functions. His passion for teaching and for his students was never ending. He often said if he taught one student one useful thing on any given day, that was a good day. He always saw potential in his students and worked tirelessly to help them find and achieve their life’s dreams.

Joe loved a good discussion and was known for championing positions that might be overlooked. There was never a political topic that Joe did not enjoy discussing. While he often held differences in opinion, he always respected the views of others. His goal was not to change someone’s mind but to understand differences. Joe believed there was inherent goodness in the world. He was without judgment of humanity with all its flaws and instead embraced differences in people. He opposed all wars and military intervention.

Joe’s intellectual interests were vast. He collected rare books, often jumping up mid conversation to pull a book off a shelf that aligned with the interests of his visitor. Keep it, he would say with a warm smile. He was well read on many topics from Judaic history to literature to politics. Joe took on the role of family historian and genealogist for the extended Rubinstein family. Joe had a keen mind with regards to investing and provided advice and education to all in his life. He enjoyed playing chess and scrabble.

Above all, he fiercely loved his family. Joe’s love for Heike was unwavering. Joe was a dedicated and loving father to Mark and Sara. He provided endless encouragement and support to his family in all their endeavors. He took special interest in Mark’s biomedical research, taking time to read his publications and discuss ongoing laboratory efforts. He was very proud of Sara’s photography career. The adventures and growth of his three grandchildren brought him much joy. Whether a South Carolina beach vacation with immediate family or a reunion with the extended family, spending time with relatives was always most important to Joe.

Joe was a large personality, and an undeniable force in the Rubinstein family. He is survived by his wife Heike Büchler Rubinstein, his son Mark Rubinstein (Anastasia), his daughter Sara Rubinstein-Case (Thomas Case), his grandchildren Oliver, Sylvia and Tighe, his sister, Judy Prigal, and her family. He is endlessly missed

A funeral service will be held Sunday, June 16, 2024 from 12:30 PM to 1:15 PM at Schwartz Brothers-Jeffer Memorial Chapels, 114-03 Queens Blvd, Forest Hills, NY 11375. Immediately following, there will be a burial service from ~1:30 PM to 2:30 PM at Union Field Cemetery, 82-11 Cypress Ave, New York, NY 11385. A memorial service in Hartsville, SC, is planned and the date will be announced shortly.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Coker University Rubinstein-Büchler Endowed Scholarship for International Study.https://www.coker.edu/offices-services/office-of-advancement/