Frank Schaffer

1926 - 2020

May 7, 1926 - April 16, 2020 Frank Schaffer, 93, of Palos Verdes Estates, died Thursday, April 16. He was the founder and president of Frank Schaffer Publications, a leading educational materials publisher and for the previous 24 years he was an elementary school teacher in the Palos Verdes school district. He was a generous benefactor of education, the performing arts, children's hospice care and other charitable causes. He was a good friend, a loving father, a caring grandfather and great-grandfather. The love of his life and wife of 73 years, Marilyn, was at his bedside holding his hand when Frank slipped peacefully away. He was born May 7, 1926 in New York City to Elsie (Hecht) and Louis Schaffer. He grew up in Midtown Manhattan and graduated at age 17 from Seward Park High School on the Lower East Side in 1943. On entering City College of New York, he knew a world at war would cut his studies short. He met Marilyn at a dance at the 92nd St Y. In 1944 on turning 18 he was called up for service in the US Army. Shipped out to Europe as a private, he served as radioman for his infantry unit and then was promoted to corporal and transferred to counterintelligence. He was in Paris on VE Day, mobbed by a celebratory crowd and hoisted high on joyous French shoulders. Frank was always proud to have served the country he loved. Frank and Marilyn were married on December 29, 1946. Thanks to the GI Bill, Frank graduated from New York University in 1950 with a BS in education and an MS in 1952 with a focus on special education. Moving to California, he taught special education first in Ramona and then in Porterville. In 1956 he began a long career in Palos Verdes as a specialist in remedial reading, his last 10 at Lunada Bay Elementary. He was an exceptional teacher, gifted with an uncanny ability to find what worked best for each struggling reader. He always believed the key to success was making learning fun for them. Frank and Marilyn raised five sons in Palos Verdes. To supplement his income, Frank tutored children after school and worked part time for Pepperdine University, teaching graduate courses on the fundamentals of working with children who had fallen behind in reading skills. In 1972 Frank had an idea: why not write a book filled with "fun and games with reading?" Working weekends and nights he wrote 96 pages and had 1,000 copies printed. In January 1973, after failing to persuade school supply retailers to stock his book, he asked Marilyn to take some to a special ed. conference in downtown Los Angeles, rent a booth, and see if they would sell. She sold 150 in the first hour. They quickly decided to go into business for themselves. Frank and Marilyn ran the business from the house for two years before Frank left teaching behind and moved the company to a small office. At the time, in 1975, he was publishing about two dozen different titles. By 1990 Frank Schaffer Publications, Inc had over 950 books and other products that could be found in nearly every pre-school and elementary school in the US, Canada and beyond. Everything it published reflected Frank's insight and teaching experience, and for that reason teachers bought his books and came to trust his name. An innovative and competitive businessman, he was entirely unfazed by his phenomenal success. He was sincere, sympathetic and funny. Wherever he went, he could often be heard humming, whistling and singing to himself, just as he'd always done, still replacing forgotten lyrics with odd scatting syllables. In 1996 Frank and Marilyn sold their company. Frank was 70 and ready to enjoy an active retirement. He maintained his longstanding passions for photography and music. He and Marilyn became world travelers. They were avid theatergoers and became active supporters of the Palos Verdes Performing Arts Center's Norris Theater. On its behalf, for many years Frank collaborated with a dear friend in organizing an annual series of jazz concerts. Frank cherished his family. He was proud of his five sons and enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. Among his many friendships were some that endured for over 50 years. He succeeded far beyond what he ever imagined as a city boy raised during the Depression, and in return he did his best to give back more than he received. Nevertheless, his life was also marked by great sorrow. His mother died when he was a teenager. He was predeceased by the untimely deaths of his beloved brother Alan Schaffer and Marilyn's dear brother Marvin Glazer. He outlived three of his children who died tragically and unspeakably young: Doug, Ken, and Carol. He is survived by his wife Marilyn; his sons Ira (and his wife Denise), Michael (Rina), Larry, Gary (Valérie), and Neal (Miwako); his grandchildren Jim (Whitney), Joshua (Julie), Davis, Sylvana, Cade, Léa, Jaxon, Eliott, Luna, Marlene, Kyle and Samuel; and his great-granddaughter Layla. A memorial service for Frank will be held at a future date. Due to the present crisis, the burial service was restricted to family members watching it live-streamed from graveside by Rabbi Brian Schuldenfrei of Congregation Ner Tamid of South Bay, to whom the Schaffers express their deepest gratitude. Memorial contributions may be made to the Children's Hospice at Provident Trinity KidsCare Foundation, 5315 Torrance Blvd., Suite B1, Torrance, CA 90503.