Allen Lewis Feinstein
Allen Lewis Feinstein passed away Dec. 21, 2012, after a long and valiant battle with Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases. Born April 18, 1029, to Jacob and Kate Goldberg Feinstein in New York City, he is survived by his wife of 55 years, Charlesa Wolfe Feinstein.
Allen graduated with honors from City College of New York and Columbia University Law School in 1952. He was a 2nd lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, from 1952 to 1953.
He worked as an associate for the firm of Proskauer, Rose, Goetz and Mendelsohn in New York. In addition, he enjoyed working in theater and had a small part in a Broadway play.
After moving to Phoenix in 1959, he clerked for Justice Charles Bernstein of the Arizona Supreme Court. He subsequently became the first administrative director of the Arizona Supreme Court, from 1961 to 1964.
He continued his theatrical career with the leading role of Rev. Morrell in George Bernard Shaw’s “Major Barbara,” at Phoenix Theatre.
During his law career, he was a partner in the firm of Daughton, Feinstein and Wilson, and senior partner in Rawlins, Burruss, Lewkowitz and Feinstein from 1986 to 1995.
Some of his activities included membership on the Phoenix Housing Code Committee, State Legislative Committee on Medicaid, Phoenix Charter Review Committee and Executive Committee Phoenix Sister City Commission. He authored the First, Second and Third Reports of Courts of Arizona. He was on the board of directors and chairman of Memorial Hospital of Phoenix and served as director and chairman of Arizona Hospital Association. In addition, he was chairman of the Memorial Hospital Foundation, chairman of PMH Health Resources and Arizona Voluntary Hospital Federation.
From 1989 to 1991, he served as chairman of the Phoenix Chapter of the American Jewish Committee. From 1989 to 1991, he was the legal advisor to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Police Commission. He was a member of the Arizona Bar Association and Maricopa County Bar Association, where he was chair of the Commission on Civil Practice and Procedures, Peer Review Committee and numerous other committees.
Allen was a founder and served as president of the University Club of Phoenix, from 1971 to 1972, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Delta Phi.
Allen was an avid hiker, especially with his Kerry blue terrier, Casey; baseball and football fan and tennis player. He enjoyed theater, opera and ballet.
Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thurs., Jan. 10, 2013, at the Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center, 122 E. Culver St., Phoenix. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Allen’s memory to either the Arizona Jewish Historical Society, Hospice of the Valley, Best Friends Animal Society (Kanab, Utah) or the Audubon Society.
