There are many governmental officials and civic leaders in Rhode Island with an abiding fear of Herb Weiss. Not because he’s a scary fellow – he’s one of the nicest, most talkative humans you’re likely to meet. Not because he has a private army, although one could probably be composed from the organizations and individuals he has helped over recent decades. They fear him because, when Herb sets his mind to something, he simply does not stop. He will call someone he needs to reach eight times a day until he reaches them. If Herb is looking for you, your voicemail will capsize and unexpectedly your partner, coworker or personal trainer will see you and say, “Hey, Herb is looking for you!” This combination of work ethic, bulldoggish persistence, and championship of good causes has made Weiss a municipal legend. He has applied these traits with particular effectiveness and tenacity to his coverage of elder issues in our region. Beyond the elder times, Weiss has become an ambassador to virtually every press outlet in Rhode Island (including Motif, which has published a few of his articles), advocating for our senior citizens and covering issues of concern to our elder demographic. Over his career so far, the 72-year old Weiss has had over 1,111 articles published. He’s produced three books, and been cited with awards and honors throughout the aging community. He wrote his article in 1980, and is a little surprised to now find himself a part of the community he has covered for so long. “For 45 years I’ve had the privilege of writing about aging, without realizing I would one day be experiencing it. Aging should not be feared – it should be embraced as a way to experience life more fully,” Weiss said. “I’ve been able to take our local experiences and make them national and universal. Aging issues affect every one of us… The work is far from over. Our aging population continues to grow, and with it the need for thoughtful journalism that explores the complexities of aging.”
His achievements were recognized most recently with the endowment of a Herbert Weiss collection at the James P. Adams Library at Rhode Island College, a research resource that includes reference copies of all his work, and will be shared among a network of colleges and universities. The collection was dedicated on June 27, an event attended by a robust collection of RI cultural and civic leaders. Weiss is also a member of the Order of the Occult Hand. Google that if you have a minute.