Morton Aronoff's Obituary
Morton Aronoff, M.D.
Morton Aronoff was born on December 5th, 1932 and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
By the time he was 24 years old he had graduated from Dalhousie Medical School, served as a reserve in the Canadian Navy and worked in an emergency room in Halifax. In 1958, he moved to Montreal to begin a surgical residency at Montreal Jewish General Hospital, where he met his wife Ruth who was working as a nurse, and they were married soon after.
In 1959, they had their first child, Heather. A few months later, they headed to Nottingham, England where they both worked at the local General Hospital as Mort trained to become a specialist in Reconstructive and Plastic Surgery. Within a couple of years they had two sons, Peter and Rob. When Ruth was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, Mort diligently researched the best climate for her condition and decided to relocate his family 2,700 miles from Montreal, Canada to Tucson, Arizona in 1963.
In 1969, in addition to having a full-time medical practice and being on call one third of all nights and weekends for emergencies, Mort helped establish and became the first doctor to work at the St. Mary’s Burn Unit, the region’s only burn center treating all individuals suffering from debilitating burns. He was known for his commitment to his employees and patients. His lifelong dedication was to the welfare of those he cared for.
Mort was an adventurous man and encouraged his children to be the same. He traveled with Ruth to countless countries in all continents of the world. He enjoyed water skiing and spent weekends at the lake. He also rekindled his passion for sailing, a skill he had learned in Nova Scotia, and docked his boat in San Diego, cruising up and down the coast whenever possible. Additionally, he took up snow skiing, scuba diving, and even became a pilot after the age of 50.
Above all, Mort was a committed family man. He and Ruth welcomed 10 grandchildren and three great-granddaughters, who all loved them dearly. He was known for his playful sense of humor which delighted his friends, family, and especially his grandchildren. His family is grateful to him for being a great, loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He will be missed in a most profound way.
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