72 | MAY 26 • 2022 

OBITUARIES
OF BLESSED MEMORY

DR. ELIE D. 
ABOULAFIA, 
93, of 
Farmington 
Hills, died May 
9, 2022. 
He is survived by his wife 
of 57 years, Eileen Aboulafia; 
children, Diane and Dr. 
Peter Shapiro, Dr. David 
and Audrey Aboulafia, Dr. 
Albert Aboulafia and his 
fiancee, Cheryl Kalb, Robert 
and Deborah Steingold, 
David Steingold and Lisa 
Dwyer, Michael and Janice 
Steingold, and Dr. Marc 
Steingold; grandchildren, 
Miriam and Yves, Dr. 
Gabriella and Joe, Elie 
Chorlton, Jacob, Ariella, 
Alanna, Woody and Carla, 
Jason, Sean and Brooke, 
Rachel and Adam, Lindsay 
and Aaron, Eric, Meghan, 
Dana and Matt, Jamie and 
Reuben, Melissa and Barrett, 
and Dr. Brandon; great-
grandchildren, Yoni, Yael, 
Zaidie, Stella, Caleb, George, 
Hunter, Asher, Juniper, 
Ivy, Jackson, Miles and 
Josie; brother, Dr. Yeshaya 
Aboulafia; brother-in-law 
and sister-in-law, Dr. Paul 
and Dr. Ruth Helman. He 
is also survived by Susan 
Steingold, many loving 
nieces, nephews, cousins, 
colleagues, friends and his 
devoted caregivers, Nefertiti 
Newsome and Caitlin 
Bonner. 
Dr. Aboulafia was the 
devoted son of the late 
David and the late Mazel 
Aboulafia.
Interment was at Clover 
Hill Park Cemetery. 
Contributions may be made 
to Magen David Adom, P.O. 
Box 96402, Washington, 

D

r. Robert Arking 
of Troy, a scientist, 
beloved husband, 
father and grandfather, 
passed away suddenly May 
16, 2022, while visiting 
family in New York City. 
He was 85.
Born on July 1, 1936, in 
New York City, he grew 
up in Atlantic City, N.J., 
roaming the Boardwalk 
with friends and working 
in his father’s linen store.
Dr. Arking received 
a B.S. in biology from 
Dickinson College and 
a Ph.D. from Temple 
University. After various 
positions at the University 
of Virginia, University 
of Kentucky and the 
University of California 
at Irvine, he landed at 
Wayne State University in 
Detroit, where he spent 
45 years as a professor in 
developmental biology, 
developmental genetics and 
the biology of aging before 
retiring in December of 
2020.
Dr. Arking was 
instrumental in both 
designing courses, 
reforming WSU’s 
undergraduate curriculum 
and establishing the M.S. 
Biotechnology Program. 
He also promoted modern 
teaching methodologies 
and developed courses to 
help at-risk students. 
However, research was 
his true passion; and 
throughout his career 
he was fascinated by the 
physiology of healthy aging 
and developed a strain of 

long-lived fruit 
flies that enabled 
him to identify 
the factors that 
promote healthy 
aging. Dr. Arking 
collaborated 
with scientists 
in Russia, 
Switzerland and 
South Korea to explore the 
genetics, physiology and 
metabolism of aging using 
these flies.
In addition to prolific 
research articles and 
reviews, Dr. Arking is the 
sole author of a textbook, 
Biology of Aging, now in its 
fourth edition. His text 
has been translated into 
Japanese (legally) and 
Portuguese (illegally), and 
he was very proud that his 
book was good enough to 
steal.
Dr. Arking won the 
Wayne State Faculty 
recognition award in 2000 
for outstanding scholarship 
and was elected a Fellow 
of both the Gerontological 
Society of America and 
the American Aging 
Association. He was an 
invited visiting professor at 
Pusan National University 
in South Korea in 2000 and 
2013, and won a Fulbright 
Fellowship to teach and 
study at the University of 
Salzburg in 2006.
In addition to his 
scholarship and teaching, 
Dr. Arking held many 
positions with the 
American Association 
of University Professors/
American Federation of 

Teachers, serving 
as treasurer 
and executive 
board member, 
implementation 
officer and vice 
president. He was 
also a member 
of the union 
negotiating team. 
Even after retirement, 
Dr. Arking still taught 
his course the Biology of 
Aging as a volunteer.
While he was a lifelong 
student of science, 
Dr. Arking was also a 
committed humanist who 
never failed to exhibit 
enthusiasm for the 
endeavors of his loved ones 
and offer encouragement at 
just the right time. He was 
devoted to his wife of 60 
years and lived, loved and 
laughed through each and 
every one.
He was preceded in 
death by his beloved 
wife, Lucille. He leaves 
behind two sons, David 
and Jonathan; two 
cherished daughters-in-
law, Deanne and Carolyn; 
six grandchildren he 
thoroughly adored, Ben, 
Jared, Joshua, Rachel, 
Emily and Ari. He is also 
survived by his siblings, 
Richard Arking, Madelon 
Holder and Linda Avila.
A celebration of life 
will be held at noon on 
Saturday, June 25, 2022, 
at the Congregation for 
Humanistic Judaism of 
Metro Detroit, 28611 W. 
12 Mile Road, Farmington 
Hills. 

A Student of Science

Dr. Robert Arking

