J. CHRISTOPHER JAFFE

JAFFE--Dr. J. Christopher, a 58 year resident of Norwalk, CT, died peacefully at home among his loving, devoted family on Thursday, May 23, 2013. Dr. Jaffe was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1927, the son of Dr. Boris and Ludmila Jaffe. He was married to Marcia Paris Jaffe in 1951. He attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, an M.A. in Theatre from Columbia University and an honorary doctorate from Rensselaer. A pioneer in the field of acoustical design, in 1958, he founded Stagecraft Corporation, which later became Jaffe Acoustics. He has worked on more than 250 performance halls including such prestigious projects as the acoustic renovations of the Hollywood Bowl, Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, John F. Kennedy Center, Bass Performance Hall, Severance Hall, Tokyo International Forum and Sala Nezahualcoyotl in Mexico City. He most recently was a Principal Consultant with Acentech in Cambridge, MA. He has taught acoustics at the Juilliard School, City University of New York, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where he is the founder of the master's program in architectural acoustics. His honors include the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for Business, the American Institute of Architect's Award for Collaborative Achievement, and election to the RPI Hall of Fame. In 2010, he authored The Acoustics of Performance Halls: Spaces for Music from Carnegie Hall to the Hollywood Bowl. In 2011, he received the Wallace Clement Sabine Medal from the Acoustical Society of America, "for innovative acoustical solutions in performance hall design and for architectural acoustics education." An active outdoorsman who hiked, swam, skied and sailed, he spent his summers in the Adirondack mountains of New York State. He first hiked Mount Marcy at the age of eight with his mother and sister. He is survived by his children Irene, Chris, Jr., and Nina, his daughter-in laws, Trudy and Karen, his grandchildren, Matthew, Courtney and Kayla and his three cats. He was predeceased by his wife, Marcia Paris Jaffe, his parents and sister, Irene. A memorial service in his honor will be held on Thursday, June 27 at 5:00pm at the Norwalk City Hall, 125 East Avenue, Norwalk CT. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Adirondack Council or to the ASPCA.