Jack Sherwin Winberg

May 10, 1932-February 9, 2021

Jack S. Winberg, M.D., PhD., 88 of Sarasota, Florida passed away on February 9th, 2021 from Covid-19. He was the son of Nina and Harry Winberg and grew up in Chicago, Illinois. Jack had a private psychiatric and neurology practice in Chicago. He was a professor in the medical school and ran a lab at the University of Illinois and University of Chicago where he was an alumnus. He served in the U.S. Army doing research at the Walter Reed Hospital for Medical Research. There, he discovered a rapid test for Strep. He was a forerunner in the research of Interferon and invented a portable biofeedback device that could monitor patients and enabled him to retire to Sarasota and to play his beloved chamber music.

Jack was a passionate cellist and enjoyed playing chamber music in Chicago and with his Sarasota musicians. He loved to tell stories about playing music with famous musicians including the surprise concert he played with Albert Einstein. He was influential in the beginnings of the practice of Music Medicine and in collaboration with his cousin, Merle Salus, wrote Stretching for Strings, a book for keeping string players healthy.

Jack loved photography and had many shows of his prize-winning work. He shared this love with his photography students at Osher Lifelong Learning Academy at Ringling College where he also taught Chamber Music Courses. He awakened the “photography bug” in many of his students and maintained a group of photographer buddies who held weekly coffee and Zoom meetings. He was a founding member of DPA, Digital Print Artists.

Jack is pre-deceased by his late wife, Eileen Wilson Winberg and grandson, Daniel Levine. He leaves his life-partner of many years, Judy Levine and stepchildren, Julie Murray, Mark Levine, Krista Levine, and grand children Mackenzie and Michael Murray and Amanda Levine to remember and celebrate his life.

Jack’s ashes will be interned at the Sarasota National Cemetery. If you wish, donations can be made in his honor to the Perlman Music Program/Suncoast, P.O. 3407, Sarasota, Florida 34230 or to Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Ringling College, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida, 34236. A memorial gathering will be held later due to the pandemic.