COVID-19 eyed in death of Colleyville physician, attorney who was Peace Corps’ top doctor
Steven Weinberg, a Colleyville physician and attorney who was the Peace Corps medical director in the early 2000s, died earlier this month at his second residence in Edwards, Colorado. He was 78.
Weinberg died on Aug. 20 while he was sleeping, his wife, Vicki Weinberg, said. The cause of his death is not certain. No autopsy was conducted. Steven Weinberg tested positive for COVID-19 in early August, and Vicki Weinberg said that she believes that the coronavirus likely contributed, with other health problems, to the cause of his death.
The Weinbergs received COVID-19 vaccine doses in February and March. Both tested positive for the coronavirus after dining with others in Colorado on Aug. 5.
Weinberg was born on Dec. 4, 1942, in Fort Benning, Georgia. He attended the University of Oklahoma and medical school at the University of Iowa. He trained at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
After practicing as a general surgeon, Weinberg earned a law degree at Southern Methodist University and began working as an attorney.
“He always had a very curious mind,” that was often at work, Vicki Weinberg said.
Weinberg was involved in Republican politics, particularly the presidential campaign of George W. Bush. He was a member of the State Republican Executive Committee.
Bush appointed Weinberg in 2001 to a five-year term as the associate director and medical director at the Peace Corps. He was aboard a flight to Washington to begin the Peace Corps post when the Sept. 11, 2001, jetliner hijacking terror attacks were underway.
When he returned to Texas after his Peace Corps term, Weinberg joined the state government body that oversees the department that regulates alcohol sales.
Gov. Rick Perry appointed Weinberg to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
“I told them that I, personally, don’t drink,” Weinberg recalled in a Star-Telegram interview sharing with a Perry staffer. “They said that was good, because I’d come to the issues with an open mind.”
Weinberg said he thought that his experience in medicine would be helpful.
“As a trauma surgeon, a lot of the people I saw had injuries related to underage drinking or drinking and driving,” Weinberg said. “Those are the two biggest issues the commission confronts and, obviously, are two big concerns of mine.”
He resigned from the commission in May 2017.
Weinberg was previously president of the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Rotary Club, a past board member of the Hurst-Euless-Bedford YMCA and had been an officer of the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Chamber of Commerce. He served in the U.S. Air Force and was chief of surgical services at Ramey Air Force Base.
Weinberg appeared on cable television news to discuss the pandemic. After the Weinbergs developed a friendship with Fox News Channel anchor Shannon Bream and Bream’s husband, the anchor called on Weinberg to appear on her newscast to answer coronavirus questions.
Beyond his wife, Weinberg is survived by his children, Michael Weinberg of Albuquerque, Shannon Kinney of Houston and Joshua Weinberg of Memphis.
This story was originally published August 28, 2021 at 5:29 PM.
