Myron Kaufman knew what mattered most in his life, as shown by the time he spent caring and providing for his loved ones.
“It did not matter how you knew my father, or under what circumstances,” his youngest son, Aaron, said. “He was always the same person. A person who stood on principle, who was kind, generous, and compassionate.”
During his 42 years as a chemistry professor at Emory, a typical day for Kaufman was spent “teaching, doing research, then exercising,” his wife, June, said. He loved to go biking, swimming, and walking. His oldest son, Dan, said, “Until he began suffering from multiple health issues several years ago, my father was very active physically and intellectually.”
Dan said his father’s intellectual curiosities included being “an avid consumer of business and political news and avid reader of a variety of genres and topics — crime fiction, biography, science, religion, and others.”
Even after he lost some mobility due to knee problems, Kaufman was still determined to get his workout. His youngest son, Aaron, said he “would still manage to take his scooter up to the workout room in his building, where he would at least ride the recumbent bike.” Aaron added that his father was the “most consistent person” he’s known.
Kaufman died Oct. 23 at age 79. A graveside service was Wednesday, Oct. 26 at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs.
“Compassion was his name,” June said. “He took care of my terminally ill mother in our house, down to caring for her very basic physical needs.” She added that when a good friend of hers was going through a tumultuous time because of a divorce, Kaufman told the friend she could stay with them “for as long as she wants.”
When he felt something was unfair, particularly in his position as an academic, he would intervene regardless of what others thought. “For example, early on,” his wife said, “the faculty voted to not have a Black Studies Program” because it wasn’t deemed “academic.” Kaufman wrote a minority report, and black studies became a program. His wife said his values were in line with the well-known Dalai Lama’s quote, “loving and caring is my religion.”
Dan said his father was “generous to a fault” with both his two sons. “He would frequently invent non-existent special occasions to give us gifts to the point of ridiculousness. And gave generously to organizations he believed in passionately such as Doctors Without Borders and the Jewish Federation of Atlanta.”
His father was also generous with time and praise for his two sons, Dan said, and for "every little performance and developmental milestone of his two granddaughters."
Kaufman also had a career as a writer, even after he left teaching. He authored two academic textbooks on Chemistry and Physics, three novels and numerous short stories. “His mind remained sharp to virtually the end. and he was passionate about his fiction writing,” Dan said.
Aaron added that “his creative writing success, and particularly the acknowledgement from his peers later in life, also gave him the most amount of pride.”
After his father had published his first science book, Aaron recalled, he spread the wealth and gave $1,000 to him and his brother. “I also remember my father explaining to me, at that moment, that what he was doing was a ‘mitzvah’ (good deed).”
In addition to his success as a writer of novels and short stories, Dan said, “I think my father was proudest of his relationship of 55 years with my mother, the successes of his two sons, and his two lovely and spirited granddaughters.”
Kaufman is survived by June, his wife of 55 years; sons, Daniel and Aaron;
Survivors besides Kaufman’s wife and sons include a sister, Ronnie; and granddaughters, Isadora and Elisa.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University, www.winshipcancer.emory.edu.
