Jacob P. Blumenfeld

Jacob P. Blumenfeld

Knoxville, TN

Jacob P. Blumenfeld, 90, of Knoxville, passed away Wednesday March 23, 2016, surrounded by loving family and friends. Kind, compassionate, and brilliant, Jay was a scholar, an author, a hero, a great humanitarian, a true friend, and a wonderful father. He will be sorely missed. Jay lived a life of honor, service, and integrity and believed all people were worthy of respect, dignity, and equality. He lived those values every day and passed them on to his family. Those values were evident in his early involvement in the civil rights movement, as well as his lifelong support of various civil liberties causes and organizations.

Jay was born and raised in Memphis and was a graduate of Central High School, where he was a member of the football team. As a boy, he spent summers working at the family business, the Blumenfeld Ice and Coal Company. Jay was heard to say that the advent of the modern refrigerator killed that business. After high school, Jay followed his two older brothers Ernie (Air Force) and Abe (Navy) into the military and served with the Army in World War II, fighting as a member of the 100th Infantry Division ("The Century") in the European Theater. He was captured and held by the Germans as a Prisoner of War before being liberated and returning to the United States at the end of the War. Among many other medals, Jay was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions in combat.

Following the War, Jay turned his attention to completing his education. He held a B.A. and a PhD from the University of Tennessee Knoxville and a Masters Degree from Northwestern University in Chicago. Always a man of letters, Jay was a prolific author, producing many written works, including poetry, short stories, and novels. He had a lifelong interest in art and music (he was a charter board member for the WEVL radio station in Memphis) and also enjoyed painting and drawing. Jay was a descendant of gypsies, and loved traveling. His career in academia allowed him to experience life across the United States as he taught at various universities and colleges in places including Arizona, New Orleans, Wisconsin, Texas, Idaho, and Indiana before returning home to Memphis to raise his three children. He retired from teaching in 1990 and turned his attention to pursuing his many other interests and travels. He moved to Knoxville in 2008, where he lived with his daughter and was able to indulge his passion as a lifelong Tennessee Vols fan.

Jay was preceded in death by his parents, Moses and Frances Blumenfeld (née Roberts); brother Abraham; brother Harry; and sister-in-law Marion/Sonny. He is survived by his brother Israel/Ernie (Barbara) Blumenfeld of Germantown, Tennessee; his sister Sylvia (Shug) Cremer of Atlanta, Georgia; son Matthew (Shawn) Blumenfeld and family of Mount Vernon, Washington; son Jesse (Beth) Blumenfeld of Memphis, Tennessee; daughter Rachel Blumenfeld of Knoxville, Tennessee; three grandchildren, two great grandchildren; many beloved nieces and nephews; and devoted friends Cheryl Haffner, Donna Bryant, DeDe Knight, Hubert and Shirley Topper, and Rett Myer. The family would like to thank all friends and caregivers who have offered support and provided such loving care to Jay, including Dr. Ted Stallings, Patty Fuller, Rhonda Farmer, the staff at Parkwest 4th Floor Montvue, and everybody at Tennova Residential Hospice.

A memorial celebration will be scheduled. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to a charity of your choice. East Tennessee Mortuary, 9024 Middlebrook Pike, Knoxville, TN is serving the Blumenfeld family.