Alan Burle Rubinstein

October 2, 1932 - September 19, 2023

Alan Rubinstein, who was 90 years old, passed away on Tuesday, September 19, 2023. He was born on October 2, 1932 in McKeesport, PA to Louis and Regina Rubinstein.

In 1960, Alan met the love of his life, JoAnn, on a blind date. They were married on August 26, 1962, and recently celebrated 61 years together.

Alan attended the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, where he received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in 1956 and a Masters in Education degree in 1961. In the 1970's, he began pursuing his PhD in Education at Kent State University, Kent, OH.

Alan started teaching English in 1957 at Thomas Jefferson and Elizabeth Forward High Schools in the Pittsburgh area before moving to Canton, OH in 1966. In Canton, he taught English and Speech classes at Lehman High School and then at McKinley Senior High School. In addition to teaching, Alan was the director of the musicals and a coach for the speech and debate teams at the high schools. He was also the director of The Crate and Canvas Theatre, aka "The Barn," in Canton from 1968-1978. After teaching for 34 years, Alan retired in 1992. Alan was highly regarded and respected as an educator, director and coach. Many former students, actors and speech/debate team members told him that he taught them so much and was their most influential teacher/coach.

After retiring, Alan and JoAnn moved to Chandler, AZ in 1999. Alan was an avid golfer, bowler, poker player, and singer in the Sunbird retirement community. Alan was a member of the Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation where he was active in the choir and ritual committee. He was also a lifelong fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Dementia stole a lot of Alan's memories, but it never took away his sense of humor and love of music. Alan is survived by his wife, JoAnn, his two daughters, Elynn Rubinstein and Barbra Prestia (Joey), and his brother, Leslie Rubinstein (Elsie). He is preceded in death by his parents, Louis and Regina Rubinstein, and his brother, Lee Rubinstein.

A graveside service will be held Friday, September 22 at Valley of the Sun Funeral Home, Chandler, AZ, at 11:00 am. A reception will follow the service at Valley of the Sun. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Parkinson's Foundation, American Heart Association or the National Stroke Association.