Joan Weintrob, founder and former president of the Orthotic Prosthetic Center (OPC) died June 27, 2021, after a 14 year gladiatorial combat with lung cancer. Luckily, for most of that time, she was winning the battle. She recently enjoyed her 82nd birthday with family and friends.

Joan was born in New York City in 1939, the daughter of Sara and Henry Jerum. She received her BS from Tufts University in Occupational Therapy and worked in Occupational Therapy departments at hospitals in Santa Monica, Dayton, Washington DC, and Dallas, eventually joining the Fairfax Hospital (later to become Inova Fairfax) where she became manager of the Occupational Therapy Department.  While working as an occupational therapist, she became especially interested in treating people whose hands had been injured.  This interest led to further studies in orthotics which resulted in Joan persuading the hospital to establish an Orthotics Department of which she was the manager. She then pursued education in prosthetics and added that capability to the department while becoming only the second woman to receive the Certified Prosthetist Orthotist (CPO) credential and helping to open the profession to women.  In 1980, Joan founded the Orthotic Prosthetic Center becoming the first woman to establish a private orthotic-prosthetic practice.

As an orthotist, she pioneered the use of lightweight plastic braces in place of the metal and leather devices commonly used in the metropolitan area.  For several years she collaborated with physicians at the National Institutes of Health to evaluate the use of aggressive bracing for children with brittle-bone disease.  In an unusual digression for an orthotic-prosthetic facility, but one which appealed to her deep concern for challenged children, Joan added a custom-seating and wheelchair capability to the practice that made major improvements to the comfort, mobility and functionality of children (and adults) with postural or positioning challenges.  Joan employed many young people, women and men, who went on to earn their CPO credential either during or after their stay at OPC and several of the orthotic-prosthetic facilities in the metropolitan area and beyond were founded by or staffed by "graduates" of OPC.

Joan is survived by her loved and devoted husband of 61 years, Harry Weintrob, their two sons, David Weintrob of New York and Elliot Weintrob of Bethesda and their spouses Corinne Hermann-Weintrob and Chris Weintrob, and her beloved grandchildren Sabrina Weintrob, Grant Weintrob, Garret Weintrob and Alexis Weintrob.

The family greatly appreciates the caring support provided by JSSA Hospice. Though relatively brief, it was a godsend. A graveside service will be held at Judean Memorial Gardens in Olney at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 30.