Obituary of Martin J. Molof

Dr. Molof, age 78, passed away November 13, 2014 at his apartment in Goleta. He had been recovering from major surgery in July which, combined with longstanding, debilitating effects of diabetes, proved more than his physical body could handle. Marty was especially grateful for the professional service rendered him throughout his illness by his primary care physician, Dr. Stanley McLain. Marty, as he was known to all of his friends, was born in Brooklyn, NY on June 8, 1936. He was an only child raised by his mother, Esther Grinsberg Molof. Following the remarriage and death of his mother in 1992, Marty had a close and caring relationship with his stepfather, Irving Osroff, until his passing in 2003. Marty is survived by an aunt, Estelle Grinsberg, and three cousins, Mark Grinsberg, Ellen Duetsch, and David Seldin, M.D., all of whom live on the East Coast. Marty earned a B.A. degree from Brooklyn College in 1957 and a Ph.D. degree in social psychology from Stanford University in 1963. He subsequently had a successful career as a research analyst and program evaluator with a number of government agencies. He retired in 1995 and settled in Eugene, Oregon. In retirement Marty was able to devote many happy and rewarding hours to his love of classical music. He also developed an interest in historical and modern art, serving as a volunteer docent at the University of Oregon Museum of Art. Upon moving to Santa Barbara in 2006 he became an integral member of the docent family at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Marty was a lifelong bachelor, but leaves numerous friends who admired and respected his many intellectual interests and friendly, outgoing personality. He will be sadly missed by all those who had the privilege to know him. A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held at the McCormick House, 1600 Santa Barbara St., at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 11, 2014. Arrangements for cremation were made through McDermott-Crockett Mortuary.