Jeffery R. Schaff, 45, of North Haven, passed away on 12/15/14 after a hard-fought battle with Appendix Cancer. Chief of Loads and Survivability at Sikorsky, Jeff had also worked at United Technologies Research Center, and served as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force. Born in Syracuse, NY, Jeff was married to his high school sweetheart, Pamela (Pickard), for 23 years. Their daughter, Morgan, graduated from North Haven H.S. and is a freshman at the University of Central Florida. Jeff graduated from ESM H.S., received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Syracuse University, and studied towards his PhD at UConn. He enjoyed exploring the outdoors, running, and playing competitive volleyball with Pam and Morgan. In addition to his wife and daughter, Jeff is survived by his mother, Margaret (Brice) Schaff, siblings, Irving Schaff, III (Tammy), Diane Boyd (Dean) and Andrew Schaff, along with several nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, and cousins. Visiting hours will be held Friday evening from 5 to 8 pm at North Haven Funeral Home, 36 Washington Avenue. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the 529 College Savings Plan for Morgan at Ugift529.com using code 82P-D10. Checks may instead be written to Pamela Schaff with a memo indicating Morgan 529Plan and sent to the family’s home address. Funeral services will be conducted in Syracuse, NY on Sunday afternoon.
I first met Jeff in the 90ies when I visited the Air Force lab in Dayton. He was a Lieutenant then in the Air Force. A few years later he came to NASA for a summer and worked with my colleague Gretchen Murri. We used to go out to lunch on a regular basis and the "Mongolian Barbecue" style of restaurants became his favorite. In the early 2000 we again worked with Jeff on the Army SARAP program. When I took over the Disbond/Delam TG within CMH-17, Jeff and I collaborated on a chapter in vol 3 that Jeff drafted and then matured all the way to publication in CMH-17 (rev G, 2012). Then Jeff got promoted within Sikorsky and our NASA group lost immediate touch with him. But Jeff was always in our minds and we often talked about his detail oriented questions and his desire to understand everything thoroughly.
My sincere condolences.
Ronald Krueger
We at NASA Langley Research Center have fond memories of working with Jeff through the years. He was a valued colleague and friend, always the gentlemen, never controversial or frustrated, a true gentlemen and a scholar. We will miss him greatly.
Jeff's contributions to the NRTC programs conducted by the the Vertical Lift Consortium were outstanding. Jeff was an exceptional Program Investigator and Engineer, professional and thorough with all of his projects. He had a wonderful even keeled personality, he never seemed to get rattled by anything, he was delight to work with and be around. My sincere condolences go out to his family, friends and colleagues. We shall all miss him greatly.
Schaff Family, I'm so sorry for your loss. Please find comfort in knowing that God promises to resurrect those who have fallen asleep in death. (Acts 24:15) Your family will continue to be in my prayers.
I knew Jeff during his years at Sikorsky but worked more closely with him in the last 4 years. We had to deal with a number of vexing problems and he was always professional and rational in solving these issues. More importantly, he was a pleasure to work with. We had a new project ahead of us and I was looking forward to working and learning from him. I will miss him and offer my sincerest condolences to his family.
I've known Jeff since he was at AFRL and always had tremendous respect for his integrity and professional expertise. He will be missed by all who knew him in the composite structures community. My sincere condolences to the Schaff family.
God Bless.
I met Jeff in the Fall of 1990. I was a new faculty member in the department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Syracuse University and Jeff was starting his senior year in the Mechanical Engineering Program. Jeff sought me out as he was interested in my research area, and he soon began working on an undergraduate research project under my guidance. Jeff graduated with his B.S. degree in May 1991. I then became his faculty advisor for his M.S. degree, which he completed in December 1992. He was my first graduate student to complete a degree, and he set the bar quite high for others that followed! Jeff then became a rapidly rising star in the aerospace industry. We became colleagues and continued to work together on a variety of projects over the years. More importantly, we became good friends. Jeff had a wonderful, gentle spirit and a “can-do” attitude. I never heard him say a negative word about anyone. I also never heard him complain – not when he worked night and day to complete his M.S. thesis research, and not during the past year, when we talked and exchanged e-mails about how things were going. Jeff was so talented – he excelled at everything that he put his mind to. He likely never considered that he was not going to beat his cancer – it seemed that there was little that was not capable of. Although I believe Jeff could have done anything with his career that he chose to, his first love, and his first priority, was his family. He created a rewarding career for himself, and one where he made tremendous contributions, while ensuring that it did not take away from his true love: time spent with Pam and Morgan (and the dogs ;-). I always admired him for that. He was a truly special human being, and I am happy and blessed that he was part of my life. I will miss him dearly.
My heart and prayers are with the members of Jeff’s family during this difficult time. Please accept my deepest condolences for your loss.
I was shocked and saddened to hear about Jeff’s passing. Jeff was a student in a number of my courses at Syracuse University’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and, while I can no longer recall which ones, I do remember Jeff as quiet, unassuming, purposeful. He was of course an outstanding student and I was very pleased when he decided to stay at SU to work with Professor Barry Davidson for his M.S. degree. His career trajectory after he finished his education was remarkable and he was certainly one of our department’s great success stories. My sincerest condolences to Jeff’s family and friends.
My deepest condolences to Pam and all of Jeff's family and friends. I was a young professor at Syracuse when I got to know Jeff, first as a student in my class and then as Prof. Davidson's hard-working graduate student. I very clearly recall Jeff as earnest, intelligent, friendly, and warm, with never a negative word about anyone or anything. Jeff demonstrated great intellectual curiosity and always wanted to understand even the most difficult concepts thoroughly. It appears that his demeanor and intelligence and character carried him far in life, both professionally and personally. It is terribly sad that Jeff is gone from this world, but he leaves behind a tremendous legacy.
To the family, I offer my sincere sympathy. To lose someone with so much left to share with the world is terribly difficult. May you find comfort in your fond memories and from God’s promise of a resurrection. Jesus himself said“… I am the resurrection and the life”. (John 11:25, 26). These words give us hope for the future, knowing that through Jesus Christ we can have the sure hope of seeing our loved one again – happy and healthy. I again offer my sincere condolences
I was Jeff's office mate and colleague while he was in graduate school at SU. I always remember him as a wonderful wit and a good friend. I will miss him.