Stuart A. Yaffe

Stuart Allen Yaffe was born in Springfield on July 6, 1927, to Samuel and Florence (Gralnick) Yaffe. He married the former Natalie Goldstein in St. Louis on Dec. 21, 1952. She preceded him in death on March 13, 2021.

He is survived by his children: Scott (Edie) Yaffe of Millburn, New Jersey and Dr. Kim (Bernie) Schoenburg of Springfield; and four grandchildren: Steven (Allison) Yaffe and David Yaffe; Sam Schoenburg (Nigel Cooney) and Elly (Victor) Schoenburg Obasaju.

After graduating from Springfield High School in 1945, Dr. Yaffe joined the Army upon turning 18, as World War II was still going on. He served stateside for 18 months.

Seeking new experiences following his military service, Dr. Yaffe, who was an only child, attended and graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, before Alaska was a state. A biology course there got him interested in being a doctor, and he went on to get his medical degree from St. Louis University.

He moved back to Springfield to join the general practice of Dr. Rex Campbell. He was a life member of the American Academy of Family Practice, which he joined in 1962. After Kim finished her family medicine residency in 1990, she joined with her father, and they worked side by side as Springfield Clinic partners for a quarter century until he retired at age 89.

Dr. Yaffe was president of the Sangamon County Medical Society in 1989 when an agreement was reached to ban smoking in St. John’s and Memorial hospitals. At the time, he called smoking “the number one avoidable cause of death in our society.”

When he was about 40, he got interested in running – a hobby and passion that had him in Springfield’s Washington Park and beyond six days of most weeks well into his 70s. He made great friends and completed 38 marathons.

Dr. Yaffe was a proud husband, father and grandfather who loved his family very much, and a physician always dedicated to the welfare of his patients.

He was a longtime member of Temple B’rith Sholom.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30am on Monday June 16, 2025 at Bisch and Son Funeral Home, 505 East Allen Street, with burial to follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery. The family will greet friends from 9:00am until the time of service Monday at Bisch and Son. Memorial contributions may be made to the temple or to the Jewish Federation of Springfield and condolences may be left at www.bischandsonfuneralhome.com.