William D. Dobbs, a longtime Darien resident, passed away at home at the age of 88. Bill was born in Forrest Hills, New York in 1926, the only son of William Henry and Ernestine Hines Dobbs.
Image by Willie Wax on Wikimedia Commons
Image by Willie Wax on Wikimedia Commons
Bill graduated from Berkshire Academy in 1944 where he was on the varsity swim team. That same year Bill enlisted in the U.S. Army, trained at the U.S. Army School of Finance, and then transferred to the 105th Infantry Regiment during the rebuilding of Japan. While in Japan, Bill was a member of the U.S. Army swim team and travelled throughout Asia.
Upon discharge from the Army, he matriculated at Trinity College in Hartford. At Trinity, Bill was on the varsity swim Team, tennis team, and was a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity. Bill graduated in 1951 with degrees in history and economics.
Bill came from a family of entrepreneurs, his grandfather H. DeWitt Dobbs founded Dobbs Hats in 1908 and his father William H. Dobbs also worked at Dobbs Hats. After graduation, Bill chose not to follow in the family business and moved to Schenectady, N.Y. to work for General Electric in the Finance Group as a real estate specialist. While in Schenectady, he earned a degree in business management.
In 1958, Bill relocated to New York City and married Agnes Marie Shea. He would work in Manhattan for the next 30 years managing real estate portfolio investments as a vice president and director at Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner and Smith, The United States Trust Company, and Manufacturers Hanover.
Bill was a member of the New York City Real Estate Board, the New York State Board of Realtors, the Urban Land Institute, and the Pension Real Estate Association.
In 1962 Bill married Anne Marie German and relocated to Darien, where he lived for 40 years. In 1987 Bill finished his professional career by realizing his family’s entrepreneurial spirit and with Lawrence Kudlow, formed Kudlow and Dobbs, a private real estate investment and management company.
Bill was on the Board of Directors of the Webster House in Manhattan, a non-profit institution for single women providing safe, temporary residences while helping them build their professional networks as they pursue careers in New York City.
He also greatly enjoyed contributing to youth athletics in Darien. He was a volunteer with the Darien Youth Football League and in 1973, a founding member of Darien Youth Hockey Association. Bill was dedicated to providing a legacy of fun, rewarding, and safe athletic experiences for all the kids of Darien.
Bill’s personal passion was golf. He was on the Board of Governors at Woodway Country Club and could always be found somewhere on the course during every playable weekend. He was a devoted fan of Trinity College athletics and rejoiced and reveled in his beloved Red Sox 2004 World Series victory.
Bill is survived by his children, William III and his wife Eileen, of Locust Valley, N.Y.; Craig, of San Diego, Ca.; Jeffrey, of Providence, R.I.; Kristen and her husband Stuart, of Seekonk, Mass.; and his eight grandchildren, Sarah, Christopher, Emily, Samantha, Andrew, Brody, August, and Lila Grae.
A memorial service will be held for all his friends and family this summer in Madison.