Sheldon Weintraub, 82, podiatrist for whom jokes were a feat
When an eye injury ended his career in podiatry, he turned to stand-up comedy. Did you hear the one about Santa's mistletoe?
Sheldon Weintraub, 82, formerly of Elkins Park and Blue Bell, a podiatrist who dealt with a career-ending injury by becoming a stand-up comic (a standard bit was treating Santa's mistletoe), died Monday, April 3, in Lancaster.
The cause of death was pancreatic cancer, said his wife, Marjorie. The couple had moved a year ago to the Manor at Willow Valley Retirement Community.
Even in his early days as a Temple University-trained podiatrist, starting in 1959, Dr. Weintraub was a natural entertainer. He took his career on the road, appearing on the Captain Noah TV show to talk about the care of children's feet and showcasing the profession by establishing a Miss Foot Health Week.
He brought a sense of humor to everything he did. "If it wasn't fun, he wasn't interested," his wife said.
Over the next four decades, Dr. Weintraub rose from solo practitioner in Kensington to chief of podiatric surgery at Warminster General Hospital and Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia.
At home, he kept his wife laughing. "I did dishes, he did fun," she told the Inquirer in June 2001.
That quality may have saved him when in 2000, at age 66, he was hit in the eye during a full-court press by an opponent in pickup basketball, a favorite hobby. The injury wrecked his depth perception, ending his days as a physician.
After training at the American Comedy Institute in New York, he performed at venues such as Caroline's on Broadway and Stand Up New York. His career was not long-lived, but "he was so proud of it," his wife said.
"They tell you to talk about something you really know about," he told the Inquirer's Cynthia J. McGroarty in June 2001. "Of course, what I knew about was feet."
Foot jokes abounded. "I took care of Santa Claus once. He had a bad case of mistletoe" was a favorite. So were bits about Dr. Weintraub's skills on the basketball court.
"I can't run and I can't jump," he told audiences, the Inquirer's Art Carey wrote in May 2004. "You've heard of Air Jordan. Well, they call me Ground Weintraub."
Born in Philadelphia, Dr. Weintraub learned pickup basketball on the streets of Olney. He graduated from Olney High School before serving for eight years in the Navy Reserve. He studied at Lock Haven State College for two years and then was accepted for training at Temple's School of Podiatry. In his podiatry office, he kept a sign that read: "Your feet are killing me."
In retirement, Dr. Weintraub walked four miles daily, lifted weights, was a senior intern on WIP radio's morning show with Angelo Cataldi, learned art appreciation at the Barnes Foundation, and was a docent at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Barnes.
He developed expertise in how to look at art, and shared that knowledge through local lectures and on board cruise ships.
Along with David Gary Smith, director of Residency Training Programs at Abington Hospital, Dr. Weintraub developed a project that used the Barnes method of viewing art to help medical residents and physicians see and understand their patients in a "deeper, richer" light. Dr. Weintraub gave talks on the subject, Smith said.
"The residents loved being with him and willingly participated in the project. As a faculty member in the project, I also became one of his biggest admirers for his ability to bring joy to any task," said Smith. "Dr. Weintraub was certainly a master in achieving this joyful state, and we loved him for it."
In addition to his wife of 54 years, he is survived by daughters Susan Weintraub Egolf and Nancy Weintraub Kahn, and four grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday, April 30, in the Orr Auditorium at the Manor at Willow Valley Retirement Community, 211 Willow Valley Square, Lancaster. Interment is private.
A fund has been set up to continue the art-viewing program for medical residents. Donations may be made to the Dr. Sheldon Weintraub Fund, c/o the Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia 19130.