David Dean Shobe, State Department retiree

David Dean Shobe, a loving father and 21-year resident of Lewes, passed away Monday, Dec. 2, 2019, shortly after celebrating his 88th birthday.   David was born in 1931 in Hyde Park, Ill., during the Great Depression and was raised as an only child in a household of five adults in Oak Park, Ill.

He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1953 with a degree in economics and psychology, completing his graduate studies in international relations at the University of Chicago. During the Korean War, he served in the U.S. Air Force as a first lieutenant and public information officer. He later entered the Foreign Service, working for the Department of State as a public affairs officer.

In 1957 he met the love of his life, Nancy; they were married until her passing in 2017.  During their early marriage he worked as a diplomat for the State Department and lived in Baghdad, Manila and Rome. After returning to the U.S. in 1965, he worked for Pratt Institute in New York, establishing a government relations office to bring in substantial government and foundation grants. During the 1960s he was actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement and created educational opportunities for minorities. He worked predominantly as a director raising funds for nonprofit organizations, including CODEL, the Arthritis Foundation, Lifeline Systems, the American Foundation for Urological Disease and the Maryland Nurses Association.

When he retired in 1997, he joined Global Volunteers and traveled to Crete and Turkey, where he hosted teams of volunteer teachers, including his wife. They moved to Lewes in 1998 and were active members of the community. For many years David taught classes at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Delaware, sharing his expertise on Middle East foreign policy and culture.

 David is survived by his three children, Stephen, Christopher and Helena. 

A reception will be held in his honor at 207 W. 4th St., Saturday, Dec. 21, from 2 to 4 p.m.