Carol (Rodgers) Jaffe and Donald Jaffe

Supporting Students Studying Nursing

Carol and Donald met when they were both in college in Boston, Massachusetts.  Donald was at MIT studying engineering, and Carol was at Simmons College studying nursing.  In 1953, Carol received her B.S. in Nursing and was licensed as a Registered Nurse, while Donald earned his M.S. in Metallurgy.  Carol worked as a public health nurse in Massachusetts and later in a hospital in New York.  She worked part time over the years while raising their five beautiful children: Nancy, Rodger, Jannah, Robert and Rick.  Donald went on to serve in the military from 1953-1955.  He later enrolled at Carnegie-Melon University, where he received his PhD in Metallurgical Engineering in 1962.

Donald Jaffe established the Carol (Rodgers) Jaffe and Donald Jaffe Scholarship Fund in 2017 to support young men and women studying nursing at Simmons College.  This endowed scholarship fund is a tribute to his dear wife Carol of 60 years and their beautiful life together. Carol passed away on August 9, 2013, but with the establishment of this fund her name will be able to continue to enrich lives. Subsequently, Donald passed away at home on April 18, 2018, but his act of generosity in honor of his wife will live on at the Community Foundation in perpetuity.

The couple and their family moved to the Lehigh Valley when Donald received his job as a Materials Scientist at AT&T Bell Labs.  He worked at the company from 1965-1990, when he then received a job as the Deputy Director of Electronics Packaging at Lehigh University.

Carol and Donald were active members of the Lehigh Valley community, serving in a variety of ways. Carol volunteered at Lehigh Valley Hospital for 30 years.  Donald was a member of the Shelter House Society, where he served on the Board of Directors and as the Treasurer.  He was also a member of the Emmaus Rotary Club, the East Penn School Board, and the Emmaus Board of Health.  The couple also volunteered at Meals on Wheels of Lehigh County, delivering dinner to needy members of the community.

Together, Carol and Donald have been dedicated to bettering the lives of those in the Lehigh Valley and beyond.  The creation of this scholarship fund will allow Carol to continue to be an important and remembered figure at Simmons College by supporting aspiring nurses.

---