Obituary of Martin Dalton Jaffe

Martin Dalton Jaffe died on October 5, 2020 at the age of 93, after a long battle with lymphoma. He was incredibly loved by his family and friends. He was known for his deep intellectual curiosity, tremendous love of sweets (especially ice cream) and heartwarming sense of humor. Martin was known and beloved by many different names: Dr. Jaffe, Marty, Dad, Grandpa. Martin was born February 16, 1927 in Detroit, the son of Morris and Bessie Jaffe. He grew up in Cheboygan until age seven and then moved to Bay City. Graduating from Bay City Central High School, Martin entered the Navy at age 17 where he did everything possible to remain on land in San Francisco to avoid getting seasick. Discharged from the Navy, Marty attended the University of Michigan and graduated from its Medical School in 1951. He was a proud Michigan alumnus and was thrilled many of his children and grandchildren followed in his 'Go Blue' footsteps. During his medical residency, Martin was drafted into the Air Force and spent two years as a Captain stationed in Japan. Returning to Ann Arbor to complete his residency, Martin met Ruth Bassichis of Cleveland, OH, whom he adored and married in 1956. Martin and Ruth moved to Bay City in 1957, where Marty (now Dr. Jaffe) established his Internal Medicine practice. He was a devoted clinician and loved caring for his patients as well as pursuing the intellectual challenge of advancing the field of medicine. In addition to running his busy clinical practice, Martin found time for medical research and published multiple medical papers, including a paper that provided the first description of an important side effect caused by the blood thinner heparin. Marty was a masterful table tennis player and was the Bay County champion for well over a decade. He was also an accomplished tennis player. In his early 50's Marty took up golf and became a true student of the game. He and Ruth spent many wonderful winters living and golfing together in Arizona. Martin's quest for knowledge, originally directed at medical practice and research, was in later years devoted to understanding human behaviors and emotions. His book on these topics, "The Primal Instinct" as well as multiple essays, can be viewed at mdjaffe.com. Whereas Marty loved the intellectual pursuits of medicine, psychology, and philosophy, his greatest pride was his family. He was tremendously supportive and proud of the accomplishments of his wife Ruth, his four children, and grandchildren. Nothing brought Marty more joy than visits with his expanding family and long discussions on the meaning of life and security. He constantly encouraged his family members to think independently and was always there to celebrate their accomplishments. Even at age 93, Marty had an unbridled passion for building, and sharing ideas. He was determined to have more time to learn, to see his family grow, and to give back. Life for his family and friends is dimmer without his curiosity, humor, and love. Martin is survived by his wife, Ruth, and their four children: Karen (Nicholas) Lygizos, Craig (Tracy) Jaffe, Brian (Jennifer) Jaffe, and Richard (Amy) Jaffe. Grandchildren include Melissa (Steve) New, Anthony (Brianna) Lygizos, Zachary Lygizos, Erica (Mark) Mulcaire-Jones, Emily (Alexander) Zheutlin, Aaron (Hayley) Jaffe, Justine Jaffe, Elliot Jaffe, Lyra Jaffe, and Ian Jaffe. Great-grandchildren include Alexander New, Nicholas New, Nolan Mulcaire-Jones. Martin is also survived by his brother Mark (Judy) Jaffe and pre-deceased by his brother Robert, and his long-time, best friend Robert Sherman. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to either of the following: Dr. Jaffe's research project at University of Michigan https://donate.umich.edu/7bmj6 or The University of Michigan Psychology Department Attn: Martin & Ruth Jaffe Research Fund 530 Church Street 1004 East Hall Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1043 Bay Area Community Foundation: https://bayfoundation.thankyou4caring.org To sign online guestbook, visit www.cremationsocietymidmi.com