While teaching at Kearny High School in 1954, he organized a competition for young, creative minds that became an international model: the Greater San Diego Science & Engineering Fair.

The cause of death was heart failure, said son-in-law Chuck Persons.

For the past 48 years, Mr. Weisbrod was a regular at the San Diego event, attending his last one in March at Balboa Park. He saw it grow from about 120 entries to 750, reinforcing his confidence that students would respond if they "found out they can do something for themselves that is productive, constructive and creative."

In 1978, his decades of contributions to science education resulted in the Distinguished Service to Science Award from the National Science Teachers Association.

After launching the Greater San Diego Science & Engineering Fair with the help of the late Bryant Evans, a former San Diego Union science writer, Mr. Weisbrod became a teacher consultant in the city schools' gifted-child program. From 1957 to 1967, he served as a science instructional consultant.

For the next four years, he directed international science fairs as coordinator of the Science Services organization in Washington, D.C.

"It would be impossible to say with any degree of accuracy just how many hundreds of thousands of young science and engineering students throughout the world have benefited from the dedicated service of Howard Weisbrod," said King Durkee, president emeritus of the Greater San Diego Science & Engineering Fair.

Mr. Weisbrod left the San Diego Unified School District in 1971 to serve as environmental education coordinator and consultant for the county Department of Education. He later served nearly two years as chairman of the education and activities department of the San Diego History Museum.

Mr. Weisbrod, a native of Lake County, began his teaching career in 1942 at Redlands High School after graduating from the University of Redlands.

In 1943, he joined the faculty at Kearny, where for the next 13 years he taught biology, botany, physiology and plant science.

When he arrived at Kearny, it was in its third year as a junior-senior high school. For the previous two years, all classes had been conducted in bungalows on horseshoe-shaped Ingersoll Street in Linda Vista.

Mr. Weisbrod, who had worked in landscape gardening before studying science at the University of Redlands, directed landscaping for a campus on Ulric Street.

A decade later, in 1953, Kearny's 10th-, 11th-and 12th-graders moved to the high school's current site on Wellington Street. The Ulric Street site became the nucleus for what today is Montgomery Academy.

A former Boy Scout, he remained active in Scouting circles during his teaching career. He once took six Boy Scouts to Washington, D.C., stopping to see the sights along the way. "Those Scouts remained his friends for life," Persons said.

Mr. Weisbrod also was active in First Presbyterian Church of San Diego, serving as a Sunday School teacher and superintendent.

His wife, Dorothy, for whom he had been a care giver for 11/2 years, died in April.

Survivors include a daughter, Marion Weisbrod Persons of San Diego; a son, Donald of Bosnia; a sister, Helen Moore of Sacramento; a brother, Kenneth of Long Beach; six grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

A memorial service is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. June 9 at First United Methodist Church, Mission Valley. Donations are suggested to the music program at the church or to the Greater San Diego Science & Engineering Fair, P.O. Box 120191, San Diego, CA 92112.

(Excerpts from an article written about Howard Weisbrod by Mary Domb Mikkelson for the on-line newsletter, NewsNote, of the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair)

Who, exactly, was Howard Weisbrod?

For starters, listen to one of his former students: "He was to me, first, my high school (Kearny) biology teacher and had our relationship ended there I would still be the richer, my life enhanced by the memory of 'that one special teacher.' He spurred and encouraged my interest in both science and college, interests that led eventually to a career in engineering. I remember, especially, his ability to make learning exciting and challenging, his willingness to 'be there' when his students needed him-in and out of class, and his obvious belief that 'kids are people too.' In a community of low-income families and government housing, an area where the primary opportunities offered kids were those to get into trouble, he ran a youth club, involved students in the landscaping of their school, sponsored trips to southern California colleges, and opened his home and his heart to youngsters seeking help, advice or simply a chance to talk."

The bare-bones facts of Howard's career are exciting in themselves:

• Thirty-seven years a science educator

• Forty-eight years a vital part of the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair

• Coordinator of the Meet the Scientist and Science and Technology Today! lecture programs which brought leading local scientists into San Diego County's junior and senior highs as speakers and role-models

• Chairman of the Education and Activities Department of the San Diego Natural History Museum

• Member of the Science Steering Committee of the San Diego City Schools, the Education Committee of the San Diego Zoological Society, the National Science Teachers Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Science Supervisors Association

• Recipient of many special awards, among them "National Science Teacher of the Year"

• Scout leader, Sunday School Superintendent, church elder, sponsor of youth activities.

• Husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather (and by popular acclaim, the "grandfather of the science fair"). Mr. Weisbrod was the founder of the Greater San Diego Science & Engineering Fair.

The landscaping at Kearny High, much of it still in place, was installed by Howard Weisbrod and his first students.

Kay Bryan wrote on 5/30/02:  I saw Mr. Weisbrod at the retired teachers luncheon in April.   Talked with him for some time.  (He even remembered me!)  His wife was in the hospital at that time.  At that time he was sharp as a tack and surely didn't appear to be over 90.  I followed him out of the parking lot - He was still driving.  He also said that Virginia Mashin and Mr Sipple where still alive.