William I. Weinstein, a retired attorney and former Baltimore County magistrate, died of multiple myeloma July 26 at Sinai Hospital. He was 82 and lived in Northwest Baltimore.
He was born in Baltimore, raised on Ridgewood Avenue and was a 1945 City College graduate. He met his future wife, Loraine Goldsmith, in 1945, when he was 17 years old and she was 15.
"It was at my 15th birthday party," his wife said. "My best friend, Dolly, brought him, and my mother said, 'That's the kind of guy I'd like you to marry.'"
The couple had a few dates and went downtown for New Year's Eve in 1947. He was with a group of friends and she had a date. At midnight, they had a quick kiss and she told him that she would meet with him later. They talked until 3 a.m.
They decided to marry and eloped to Taneytown on March 25, 1948, where a Baptist minister married them. They selected the Carroll County town because they thought the marriage would not be reported by Baltimore newspapers. She wanted the marriage kept quiet so she could graduate from Forest Park High School.
In May, when he was discharged from military service as a sergeant, they announced their engagement. She received her Forest Park diploma the next month, and they were married at a rabbi's home July 22, 1948.
His father discovered their secret when he was putting money in his son's wallet and found the marriage license.
"We were happily married for 62 years, and we never spent a single night apart during all that time," Mrs. Weinstein said.
Mr. Weinstein worked for a painting contractor and attended the University of Baltimore School of Law on the GI Bill of Rights. He received his degree in 1955.
"My dad was an intelligent, hard-working, ambitious man," said his daughter, Debbie Sugarman, of Ruxton.
He established a law practice on Reisterstown Road and became the general counsel for United Federal Savings and Loan Association. He had been counsel to Uptown Federal Savings and Loan.
A Democrat, he was a past president of the Citizens Democratic Club of Baltimore County.
Gov. J. Millard Tawes named him a Baltimore County magistrate. He served at the Pikesville police court and was reappointed to the post by Govs. Spiro T. Agnew and Marvin Mandel.
"He was an inspiration to me for the humble and compassionate way he treated everyone," said his son, Howard C. Weinstein, of Pikesville.
Mr. Weinstein served on the board of the Bonnie View Country Club. He belonged to the Masons, Beth El Synagogue and the Maryland Yacht Club.
He retired for the first time when he was 57 and moved to Florida.
"It wasn't long before he discovered that retirement was not for him, and he soon took and passed the Florida bar exam," his son said. "He practiced law part time in Florida for another 20 years until he and my mother moved back to Baltimore in 2004 to be closer to their family."
He then joined his son and a grandson, both attorneys, and helped them expand a real estate title company.
"Dad was the life of the party," his son said. "He had an incredible sense of humor and never had a bad word to say about anyone."
Services were held July 28 at Sol Levinson and Bros.
In addition to his wife, son and daughter, survivors include five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
jacques.kelly@baltsun.com