Stein, Jack, 1919-2000

Biographical / Historical Note

Jacob "Jack" Stein, makeup artist for the stars, had quite a successful career as one of the most well-known makeup professionals in New England. His career in the theater began at a young age when he worked in a small theater. Always more fascinated with what went on behind the scenes than performing on stage, Stein decided that is where his passion lay. In 1945 around the age of 26 he opened the Jack Stein Makeup Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Stein also began teaching classes in the Drama department at Emerson College. He would go on to receive an honorary degree from the college in 1958 and taught his art for over 30 years.

Stein worked for several of the television stations around New England such as WGBH. His talents put him on the radar of several political figures in Washington, D.C. Some of the politicians he worked to make presentable included: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Richard Nixon. Stein also used his abilities in philanthropic efforts. He did not consider himself as solely as a theatrical makeup artist but also as a rehabilitative makeup technician. Stein worked to use makeup as a form of rehabilitation for victims at the Burn Institute of Boston's Shriners Hospital for Children and for women at correctional facilities.

Stein passed away July 8, 2000 at the age of 81. His wife of 58 years, Sophie Shapiro Stein, passed away in 2006. The two are survived by their daughters Sharon Weinberger and Judy Klamka and by their five grand-children.

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