Amherst, MA – Activist, educator, husband, father, grandfather, mentor, and lifelong advocate for justice, Robert M. “Bob” Winston died on June 25, 2026 after a short illness, surrounded by his family. He was 84.
Throughout his life, Bob was guided by the Jewish value of tikkun olam. Whether as a civil rights organizer, antiwar activist, educator, community leader, or mentor, he devoted his life to creating a more just and compassionate world.
Born in NYC, Bob graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in Political Science, where he met his wife of 62 years, Janet Walerstein, while dancing in an Israeli folk dance troupe. He later pursued graduate studies at Indiana University before joining the faculty at the University of New Hampshire, where his outspoken opposition to the Vietnam War ultimately cost him his position but never his principles.
After moving to Amherst in 1970, Bob earned an Ed.D. from UMass while directing the Valley Peace Center. His career combined activism with service to vulnerable youth, including founding programs for court-involved adolescents, teaching incarcerated students in MA and CT prisons, and later serving as a dean at Asnuntuck and Manchester Community Colleges. After his “retirement” he directed the Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center in Vermont.
Bob and Janet opened both their home and hearts as foster parents to more than a dozen adolescents. Countless others sought his counsel, encouragement, and unwavering belief in their potential. Many credited Bob with changing the course of their lives through his compassion, practical support, and insistence that everyone deserved dignity and opportunity.
A passionate naturalist, Bob shared his love of mushrooms, birds, hiking, camping, beekeeping, and the outdoors with generations of family and friends. His efforts to protect the annual spotted salamander migration in Amherst earned him the affectionate nickname “Commander Salamander.”
Bob remained active in social justice throughout his life, supporting peace, environmental protection, civil liberties, veterans against war, Native American rights, and numerous local organizations. His archives documenting decades of activism are preserved in the UMass Robert S. Cox Special Collections. Bob and Jan’s legendary Left-Wing Chicken BBQs brought together activists, artists, neighbors, and friends to support causes he believed in – most recently on May 11, in support of the Performance Project.
He was equally remembered for his humor and love of music: regularly dropping clever puns, making wonderfully inappropriate toasts, playing the banjo, singing folk songs on family trips, hosting visiting folk singers and regaling guests with music from his voluminous CD collection.
Bob is survived by his beloved wife, Janet; his children, Micah (Bharati), Resha (Collin), and Jared (Sarah); his sisters, Sue Conine (Gary) and Judi; seven cherished grandchildren-Shoval, Sheldon, Inbar, Courtney, Claire, Melaina, and Shiloh-and countless foster children, godchildren, extended family members, and friends whose lives he enriched.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Performance Project, the Markham-Nathan Fund for Social Justice, or the Rosenberg Fund for Children.
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