Page created by: Brooke Boyer

James "Jimmy" de Haaff was a loving son, brother, father, and grandfather. He was born August 27, 1908 in Antwerp, Belgium and later moved to New York City, Montreal, and finally settled in Los Angeles. He married Sadie "Sally" Sallo on September 20, 1936 and became father to Stuart and Catherine de Haaff. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Corps and was honorably discharged. He then worked with his father at the family furniture store in Los Angeles and later ran the business. Jimmy was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in the mid-1950s and underwent two brain surgeries to relieve his tremors; however nothing proved overly successful. He was fortunate to have received care from notable UCLA researcher, Dr. Robert W. Rand. As a longtime patient at UCLA's Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, James's participation was significant in the early trials of Parkinson’s treatment through surgical and drug trials, including L-Dopa therapy. However, he continued to struggle with the symptoms of Parkinson's and was lovingly cared for by Sally until his death on April 6, 1985 from pancreatic cancer.

Jimmy was survived by Sally, Stuart, Catherine, and his grandchildren Brian and Greg de Haaff, and Brent and Brooke Boyer. His children and grandchildren saw firsthand the terrible affects Parkinson's disease has on an individual and on the family and caregivers around him. The family has long supported the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research and encourages others to consider donating to help fund innovative research and treatments to help find a cure.