Martin S. Sheffer, Ph.D.

September 26, 1938 – November 19, 2024

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Martin Sheffer on November 19, 2024. He died peacefully, surrounded by family. He was 86 years old.

Marty was born in the borough of Queens, New York City to the late Cecelia (Green) Sheffer and Jack P. Sheffer.  He received a B.A. and M.A. in political science from Hunter College of The City University of New York and a doctorate in the same subject from The New School for Social Research in New York City.  His areas of specialization included constitutional law, the American Presidency, and political theory.  Over a career spanning nearly 50 years, he taught at Old Dominion University, Tuskegee University, Tidewater Community College, Virginia Wesleyan College, and at the Princeton and Georgetown campuses for The Junior State of America Summer School.  He published several books as well as articles in scholarly journals and law reviews.  He genuinely cared for and about his students and kept up relationships with many of them, writing recommendations for hundreds of them as they moved on to law school and graduate studies.  His primary emphasis always was being in the classroom teaching, where he loved to challenge students to think critically.

Marty was a man of many interests and talents.  While an undergraduate, he was a member of the Hunter tennis team.  He played the trumpet and led a small band, The King’s Men, which provided dance music at fraternity parties. Marty served his country for six years as a member of the National Guard.  He was an excellent cook, and he loved to prepare gourmet meals for family and friends.  He was a news junkie who followed several newspapers, cable networks, and analytical magazines daily.  He was a member of numerous professional and civic organizations, and he was a founding member of Common Cause.  In addition, he was a longstanding, and sometimes heartbroken sports fan, supporting through thick and thin the Mets, Jets, Knicks, and the Montreal Canadiens.  However, he saved his passion for the Dodgers, his favorite team since childhood.

Marty will be dearly missed by Lois, his wife of 60 years; son Andrew, daughter-in-law Meredith, granddaughters Alexandra and Megan, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Bruce and Toni, and grand-dog Nigel.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that those who desire to memorialize Marty do so by donating to the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Red Cross, the Alzheimer’s Association, or a charity of one’s choice.