Arthur Robert Axelrod

Arthur Robert Axelrod, born in 1937 in the Bronx to Nathan and Yetta Axelrod (née Schulder), passed away on March 14, 2026, at the age of 88. All four of his grandparents were immigrants from Eastern Europe, in what is now Ukraine. A lover of art, history, and travel, Arthur visited six of the seven continents during his lifetime.

He shared more than 60 years with his beloved wife, Jeanette, who predeceased him in 2019. Arthur is survived by his son, Michael Axelrod and his wife Stefanie, his daughter Marianne Case, and his grandchildren Milo Axelrod, Lydia Axelrod, Benjamin Case, and Adam Case, as well as his cousin Saul Raw. He was preceded in death by his son-in-law Jin Case.

Arthur attended Cornell University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he pursued a PhD before leaving academia to join Xerox at the Webster Research Center. An early pioneer of the Internet, he was active in the Arpanet at RPI and collaborated with researchers at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center as foundational Internet technologies emerged. He received a President’s Award at Xerox for creating one of the world’s first corporate Intranets.

A passionate devotee of music and opera, Arthur became deeply involved with the Opera Guild of Rochester after retirement. He was well known in the community for his “Beat the Blahs” talks, in which he introduced opera to audiences in local libraries and community centers. A particular admirer of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, he and Jeanette attended opera productions around the world, with special affection for the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and the Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown, New York. He will be remembered for his steady presence, thoughtful perspective, and deep love of literature, history, and the arts. He often expressed how blessed he felt to have lived a full life and took great pride in his children and grandchildren.