RICHARD D. SCHAFER

SCHAFER, Richard D. 96, of Lexington, MA, died on December 28, 2014. Beloved husband for 67 years of the late Alice T. Schafer of Lexington; devoted father of John D. Schafer of Turner, ME, and Richard S. Schafer of Concord, MA; grandfather of Scott D. Schafer of Philadelphia, PA, Tania Murray of Frankfort, IL, and Stephanie Altavilla of Chelsea, MA; great-grandfather of Mikayla and Grant Murray. Born Richard Donald Schafer in Buffalo, NY, on February 25, 1918. He attended public schools in Buffalo and received the BA degree summa cum laude in 1938 and MA degree in 1940 from the University of Buffalo. In 1942 he received a PhD degree in mathematics from the University of Chicago. In 1942-1945 he served from Ensign to Lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He was a member of the Institute for Advance Study in 1946-48 and 1958-59. He was Head of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Connecticut from 1953 to 1959. He was professor of Mathematics and Deputy Head of the Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1959 through 1968, then Professor of Mathematics 1968-1988, Professor Emeritus since 1988. Fellow of the American Mathematical Society; active 50 years ago in the Mathematical Association of America and Phi Beta Kappa. In accordance with his wishes, there will be no funeral or memorial service.

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