Aaron Temkin

Dr. Aaron Temkin Obituary

Dr. Aaron Temkin, age 93, of Washington DC passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 27, 2023.  He had battled a long-term disease and survived far longer than expected.  Although the disease had slowed him down considerably in the last few years, he was able to find fulfillment in life and experience several family events and milestones.

He is preceded in death by his parents Maxwell and Mary Temkin, his first wife Miriam Hannah Temkin (nee Schachter), and his sisters Erna Hornstein and Alice Green.  He is survived by his wife: Gladys Sharnoff Temkin, his brother and wife: Marcus Temkin (Eveline), children: Jeannie Temkin, Philip Temkin (Deanna), Alexandra Slade (Benjamin), Jonathan Sharnoff (Katherine), Elena Sharnoff (Lance), grandchildren: David Temkin (Mariah), Becki Shah (Nitesh), Marcus Sharnoff, Kaleigh Sharnoff, Rose Slade, Philip Slade, Daniel Slade, and two great grandsons: Clark Temkin, and Kayden Shah.  He was a wonderful father, father-in-law, uncle, brother, husband, grandfather, and great-grandfather.  He loved his family deeply; the birth of his great grandsons gave him great pleasure and seemed to renew his energy.

Aaron was born in Morristown, New Jersey.  He grew up in Jersey City, NJ, graduated summa cum laude with a degree in physics from Rutgers University in 1951 and obtained his Ph.D. in physics from the Massachusetts Institute for Technology in 1956.  He went on to complete a Fulbright fellowship at the University of Heidelberg and was subsequently awarded an associateship at the Naval Research Laboratory, NRL.  From NRL he went to the National Bureau of Standards.  In 1960, he began his long and distinguished career at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD where he truly enjoyed being a theorist in atomic physics, specializing in low-energy electron-atom collisions and electron-molecule scattering.  He authored or co-authored over 200 technical papers and wrote portions of several books.  Aaron retired from NASA in 2005, but continued as an emeritus scientist, working with colleagues and co-authoring several papers until the spread of COVID forced NASA to limit employee access.  Even after that, he continued to think about his physics often and he was developing a new approach to a problem that he had worked on for many years.

Aaron married Miriam Schachter in 1958, and they had two children.  They were married until Miriam died of a terminal disease in 1996.  Aaron married Gladys Sharnoff in 1998, and they have shared a wonderful 24 years together.

Aaron loved classical music and was an accomplished violist.  He was a member of the Symphony of the Potomac (formally the Jewish Community Center of Rockville Orchestra) for over 50 years.  He and Gladys loved the arts; they attended numerous performances of all kinds and visited many museums and galleries throughout the world.  Aaron was dedicated to Judaism; he participated in Jewish activities inside his home, attended synagogue frequently and supported Jewish causes.  Aaron loved watching sports on TV and sometimes in person, particularly professional basketball and tennis.  He was an avid reader; he read many books, usually non-fiction such as biographical and historical accounts. He read the newspaper every day, and completed the crossword puzzle regularly.  Aaron enjoyed travel and was able to visit over 25 countries over the last 24 years with his wife.

The family will sitting Shiva at the late residence, 3900 Connecticut Ave #401-G. Washington, DC 20008. Monday and Tuesday evening from 6:30pm - 8:30pm with Minyan at 7:30 pm. The family will resume Shiva at the residence of Philip and Deanna Temkin, 517 Maestro Terrace. Silver Spring, MD 20901. Wednesday and Thursday evening from 6:30pm - 8:30pm with Minyan at 7:30pm. 

Funeral services will be held on Monday 1/30/2023 at 1:00 pm at

Adas Israel Congregation

2850 Quebec St. NW

Washington, DC 20008

(Cleveland Park Metro)

Burial to follow (approx. 3:15PM) at

B’nai Israel Congregation Cemetery

5401 St. Barnabas Road

Oxon Hill, MD 20745

Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81208363165?pwd=NHB6VzZqUVlvWkx1ZW5RNk9mclJ0UT09

In Lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to the charity of your choice; Aaron supported many charitable organizations. They included medical research and aid organizations, Jewish causes, and those supporting the arts such as the aforementioned Symphony of the Potomac (https://www.symphonypotomac.org/) an amateur orchestra.