Herbert J. Greenwald July 12, 2024

Herbert J. Greenwald, 94, of Barnstable, MA, died in Boston, MA, on July 12, 2024, surrounded by his beloved family. He was born in the Bronx, NY, raised his family in Sharon, MA, and lived in Barnstable on Cape Cod for 21 years in the home he loved.

A longtime and devoted professor, he taught psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, and Boston University, but found his home at Bridgewater State University, where he taught for 29 years, was loved by his students, and received a distinguished faculty award.

Herb was a man known for his compassion, intellect and resilience. He attended Stuyvesant High School in New York City, a school for highly gifted students, and graduated at the age of 16. when he was accepted into Columbia University where he earned the first degree of many.

When his father fell ill, Herb assumed leadership of the Greenwald Ethical Pharmacy, the family business. His deep knowledge of organic chemistry, medicines, supplements and healing balms would serve him well throughout his lifetime.

Ever intellectually curious, he earned a pharmacy degree from Long Island University, three psychology master’s degrees and a PhD in social psychology from Columbia University. At that time, he had an epiphany about his true intellectual mission: discovering what drives human behavior.

Herb had a deep love for his country and felt compelled to enlist in the army during the Korean War. Ever resourceful, he found ways to travel the world during his military leaves. These experiences fueled his adventurous spirit and sparked a lifelong interest in wayfinding and understanding people and how the mind works.

A prolific writer, Herb authored textbooks for his classes and self-help books and manuals on topics such as couples therapy and conflict resolution. He was incredibly proud of his recent book, “The Psychological Brain,” based on Psychological Systems Theory: his theory of how the mind works to help people identify and understand their “psychological roots”- hidden, powerful drives that influence how people think and interact with others, along with strategies for both modifying and simultaneously satisfying underlying problematic roots in order to lead more productive lives.

He loved his work as a psychologist, never wanted to stop, thriving on thinking about ideas for ways to improve the world. Herb ran a clinical practice until the end of his life, and his patients adored him. Many of them made progress quickly, their lives soon made for the better. Highly effective in solving seemingly impossible problems, Herb seized opportunities to help his patients through his theory of mind, often giving large amounts of time to patients regardless of time of day or night.

While pursuing his PhD, Herb found his wife, Nina. He knew she was special the moment he met her. He said so many things had unexpectedly fallen into place for him to meet her, after which there was no one else. They adored each other and were married for 61 deeply loving years.

Beyond his work and family, Herb will be remembered for his remarkable ability to solve nearly any problem, especially fixing things around the house (though computers were the one exception). His table tennis skills were legendary, particularly his vicious backhand, which earned him a college championship. His pockets always held scraps of paper with his latest thoughts and just about any tool or adhesive you might need. He would drop everything to help someone in need.

Ever cheerful, Herb’s humor, love, compassion, ingenuity, and incredible skill in countless areas make his passing hard to fathom. Many people hoped he’d find a way to live forever. He will surely live on in the hearts of the many people whose lives he touched.

The couple has three sons, Dan (Kim), Ken (Kristen) and Josh (Jodi), and nine grandchildren: Cam, Mia, Jacob, Isabel, Max and Ian Greenwald; Emily, Megan and Alex Vien. Herb was an extraordinarily devoted, caring, deeply committed family man. His loved ones, especially his three sons, were the light of his life. He adored and cherished his wife, Nina. He is preceded in death by his sister, Barbara (Murray) Kaplan, parents Jacob and Esther Greenwald and recent passing of beloved brother in law David Lebowitz.

Herb’s funeral service will be held at 1PM, Friday, July 19, 2024.

Shiva will be observed (visitations to Nina) Wednesday through Friday, July 24-26 between 1-4PM on Cape Cod. Please reach out to the family for the address.

Donations in his memory can be made to the American Heart Association, Save the Children’s Fund, World Jewish Congress, and the Holocaust Memorial Fund.

The Greenwald Funeral Service zoom link (see below) will be activated at 12:45 PM (15 minutes prior to the start of service)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89814704834?pwd=y3znI4yPDQbltZkZ3TG6PCQ7wL9dS5.1

As a courtesy to the Greenwald family, it is imperative that upon entry into Zoom, kindly ensure that your microphone is properly muted, so as not to affect the audio or video stream.

~ Thank You ~