Alfred Saunders Jaffe, a sales and marketing expert known within the jewelry industry for his innovative ideas, passed away on Aug. 14. He was 86.

Many of the sales promotion and marketing programs Jaffe created are still being used today.

During World War II, Jaffe served in the U.S. Army and took part in the Allied invasion of Normandy. After the war, he joined Feature Ring Co. as a sales executive and later was named marketing director of Original Designs Inc. He went on to form his own company, the Al Jaffe Marketing Group, which was retained by manufacturers to create promotional and marketing programs. Jaffe also trained salespeople and developed sales tools for The Stuckey Co., and he wrote a regular monthly column on marketing and sales promotions for JCK magazine.

According to those who knew him best, Jaffe will be remembered for his unique approach to his work, the force of his personality, his sense of humor, his zest for life, and his ability to fight for what he believed in.

Jaffe is survived by his wife of 56 years, Laura; his daughter, Joanne; and two sons, Jeff and Charles.