Robert Steinberg, 1947-2008

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Robert Steinberg, a physician, and John Scharffenberger, a former sparkling-wine maker, started making chocolate in Steinberg’s kitchen with some cocoa beans, a coffee grinder, mortar and pestle, an electric mixer and a hair dryer, according to Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker lore. The rest is chocolate history.

Steinberg was diagnosed with a form of lymphoma in May 1989, sold his medical practice and in 1996 partnered with Scharffenberger to form the Berkeley-based chocolate company. He passed away Sept. 17 in San Francisco. Read a tribute from David Lebovitz here.