Ex-owner of Jaffe's store dies in Florida
A former longtime owner of a well-known Butler department store died Sunday.
Arthur Jaffe, 93, died at his home in Delray Beach, Fla., after a short illness.
From 1948 to 1979, he was a partner in the in the family business, I.M. Jaffe & Sons, which operated retail stores in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan.
The main store, which initially was called House of Jaffe before becoming Jaffe's, was founded in 1924.
“It was much beloved by the public. It was a very high quality store,” his brother, attorney Norman Jaffe said.
The store moved several times in Butler. Its final location was in the current Holly Pointe building on South Main Street.
Arthur Jaffe and his brother Sidney Jaffe sold the business to their other brother, Lewis Jaffe, in 1979. The store closed in the early 1980s.
After leaving the business, Arthur Jaffe moved to Pittsburgh. He became the director of endowments for the Carnegie Museum of Art and also was involved with the United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh.
Later, he moved to Florida where he became the director of endowments and development for several charitable organizations.
He established of the Arthur and Mata Jaffe Center for Book Arts at Florida Atlantic University, starting by donating his private book collection.
Arrangements for Jaffe are being handled by the Thompson-Miller Funeral Home, Butler.
