Dr. Jay David Martsolf, Jr.'s Obituary
Dr. Martsolf died unexpectedly at his home in The Village on Friday, May 27th 2016. He was born to Fern Otto and J.D. Martsolf on the 26th of November, 1932, in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. He leaves behind his wife Mary Porter Martsolf, a daughter Marcia Martsolf Miller (Jeffrey), a son Scott Lyon Porter (Tracy), a daughter Missy Porter Rubin (Chad), and three grandchildren Alyssa Porter, Kyle and Carly Rubin. He was preceded in death by his son Mark David Martsolf.
He graduated from Columbia Military Academy in Tennessee and later served in the ROTC at the University of Florida where he received a Bachelors and Masters Degree before going to the University of Missouri for his Doctorate in Atmospheric Sciences. He served in the US Army as a First Lieutenant. While a professor at Pennsylvania State University, he received the Carroll Miller award from the American Society of Horticultural Science. He moved to Gainesville, Florida, in 1979 to become a professor in the University of Florida Horticultural Science Department. As professor of climatology, he used a NASA grant to develop a program to acquire real-time satellite data which became the Satellite Freeze Forecast System used by citrus growers to protect their crops from freezing. He enjoyed woodworking, oil painting and was an avid and competitive life-long tennis player.
A service will be held at The Village Lake House Chapel, 8000 NW 27th Boulevard, on Thursday, June 2, at 3:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations in his memory to Haven Hospice (visit http://www.havenhospice.org/) or a charity of your choice.
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