Judith Cohen SAFFRAN

1923 - 2020

JUDITH COHEN SAFFRAN (Judy) Born in Montreal, Canada on November 5, 1923, died in Queens, United States on January 14, 2020, after a brief illness. Judith (Judy) Cohen Saffran grew up in Montreal's suburb of Outremont. She went to the local high school Strathcona Academy. As recorded in her high school yearbook, Judy's ambition was "to further expand our knowledge of chemistry." She pursued this goal at Montreal's McGill University being awarded a BSc in Chemistry and a PhD in Biochemistry. Her graduate studies focussed on the metabolism of steroid hormones - she was credited with synthesis of the first labelled steroid. While in graduate school she met Murray Saffran, a fellow Montrealer and student in the PhD program. They married on June 8, 1947. After completing her degree, Judy worked in the Montreal Jewish General Hospital's research department. Judy was truly a pioneer in women's higher education and the sciences. She was a cheerful and indefatigable scientist balancing work and home in an era when it was more common for women to stay at home. In 1969, the family immigrated to Toledo, Ohio when Murray became chair of the Biochemistry Department of the then new Medical College of Ohio at Toledo. Judy worked first at The Toledo Hospital Institute of Medical Research (now ProMedica Hospital). She moved over to two successive roles at the Medical College (now the University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences). During that time of her career Judy was part of a research team investigating binding of hormones to cell protein. This pioneering research lead to better knowledge about cancer and its treatment. Judy rounded out her career as lead scientist at the College's clinical laboratory. Judy and Murray both retired in 1997 after long and distinguished careers in the sciences and education. Murray predeceased Judy in 2004. Judy continued to live in Toledo until 2014 when she moved to Queens, New York to be closer to family. Judy loved music, attending concerts of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra and regularly listening to the Metropolitan Opera's radio broadcasts on Saturdays. She enjoyed vacations at a lakeside cabin in Quebec's Laurentian Mountains region where her father had purchased over 40 acres of pristine forest land in the early 1950s. When Judy and Murray retired they built their own vacation home there. Each summer the family vacation homes were joyful meeting places for friends, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Judy's special summertime companion was her sister Sorryl. Judy is survived by her four children: David, Wilma, Arthur and Richard. Her nine grandchildren: Alexis and Mark and Luke; Jasmine and Olivia; Ben and Reva; Gwendolyn and Alex. Judy's five great-grandchildren: Finlay and Levi; Clementine and River; and Graham. Judy supported ORT, a science and technology educational charity active in over 30 countries. Those choosing to make a charitable donation in memory of Judy might consider this organization: at ORT.org. Details about a celebration of Judy's life will be sent out in the coming months.