Reuben Henry (Reuven Hennoch) Grinstein, of Houston, Texas, died Aug. 5, 2025, at the age of 89 after a courageous battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife, Maxine (formerly Stein); children, Leah (David) Marks and Joe (Amy) Grinstein; grandchildren, Boaz (Lior) Marks, Miriam (Sean Teater) Marks, Batsheva Marks, and Max Grinstein. He was predeceased by his parents, Ben and Sarah Grinstein, and his sister, Helen.
Reuben grew up in Dallas, Texas. His high school marching band’s director selected him to be the drum major, in part because the other candidates were seen as troublemakers. Reuben received his bachelor’s degree in math and chemistry from Southern Methodist University and his Ph.D. in chemistry from Rice. He was immensely proud of the latter institution; there was not a piece of Rice Owl kitsch for sale that he could pass up. After graduation, Reuben spent a year as a visiting professor at Leicester University in England. While at Leicester, he bought a new Triumph TR4 – a two-seater sports car into which he routinely squeezed six people. In six months, he put 10,000 miles on the TR4, exploring England and Ireland.
When he returned to the United States, Reuben lived in Houston, Texas; Denville, New Jersey; Blue Bell, Pennsylvania; and Tucson, Arizona. He worked as a research chemist for such companies as Shell, Diamond Shamrock, Henkel, and Cognis. He was a prolific inventor, with 37 patents to his name (for which he proudly earned $235). As a child, he loved to take apart items to see how they worked. This transformed into a passion for fixing his cars and remodeling his home. Much to his family’s surprise, he once succeeded in both starting and finishing a project to replace the engine in one of his cars. After retirement, he joined Toastmasters to hone his skills in public speaking; there, he particularly enjoyed mentoring and teaching younger members communication skills. Throughout all these adventures, Reuben was accompanied by his wife of 61 years, Maxine. She proposed to him, not the other way around – and she never let him forget it. Together, they raised eight guide dog puppies for the Seeing Eye. They traveled the world together and developed a love for cruises.
The family extends heartfelt gratitude to the skilled nursing staff at Brazos Towers in Houston, Texas, who cared for Reuben in his final months with warmth and compassion and extended friendship to his family.
Graveside services will be held at Shearith Israel Memorial Park, in Dallas, Texas on August 10 at 9am. Reuben will be laid to rest next to his parents and sister and near Maxine’s father.
Donations in his memory can be made to the chemistry department at Rice University: https://riceconnect.rice.edu/donation/support-chemistry
