Barbara A. Weintraub, a philanthropist, community activist and treasured supporter of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and the University of Miami, passed away on Sunday, Sept. 23. She was 81.
A former member of Sylvester’s board of governors and an emeritus trustee of the UM Board of Trustees, Weintraub spent much of her time and considerable energy on her longtime goal of eradicating cancer, enhancing the lives of others through service, and supporting all things UM.
“She was really a joy, and so full of life,” said Patricia A. Whitely, who was appointed vice president for student affairs the same year Weintraub joined the Board of Trustees. “She was the first trustee I bonded with and she was incredibly supportive of UM students.”
A major fundraiser for and honorary life member of the American Cancer Society, she was instrumental in building the American Cancer Society’s Winn-Dixie Hope Lodge, adjacent to Sylvester. For her tireless crusade against cancer, the Dade County Commission renamed a portion of NW 79th Avenue in her honor in 1987. Eight years later, she received Sylvester’s Caroline W. Halpern Award in recognition of her 25 years of leadership and philanthropy in cancer research.
Following a long family tradition, she served as a UM trustee for 21 years beginning in 1997, and became a trustee emeritus in 2014. Both her husband, Michael, and his father, Joseph, were also trustees.
During her board tenure, she served on several standing committees, including Executive, Student Affairs, Trustee Service, and Master Planning and Construction. She also served as vice chair of the University Advancement Committee, and on several school visiting committees, including the Frost School of Music, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Miller School of Medicine, and School of Nursing and Health Studies. She joined the Sylvester Board of Governors in December 1995 and served through October 2008.
“UM was a passion of her, and fighting cancer was a passion of hers,” Whitely said. “You could call her any time and she would do anything for you.”