Obituary of David Dobson

David Eugene Dobson, 85, of Brewster, New York, died on January 19, 2026, at Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Connecticut.

His death was due to complications of cancer and Parkinson’s disease.

Dave was born in Claverack, New York, on January 22, 1940, to John and Blanche (Avery) Dobson. After spending his childhood on their dairy farm in Canaan, New York, he attended Kings College in Briarcliff Manor, New York.

After graduation, he married Joanne Abele, a fellow student. Eventually he and Joanne returned to Canaan, where he built the family home in which they raised three children: Elisabeth Noelle Dobson (now Kohomban), David McKinley Dobson, and Rebecca Jo Dobson (now Cosgrove).

In his career with the New York State Department of Social Services, he led the development and implementation of the State’s transition from paper food stamps to a debit card-based system. New York was one of the first states in the country to take this step. This system reduced waste and fraud and eliminated the sense of public shame some users felt when using the paper coupons at the grocery store.

After retiring from the State, Dave went on to work as an executive at Citibank, overseeing projects in several states to implement EBT food assistance programs.

After retirement, he began working as a volunteer in what would become his true passion - disaster relief service work. Over the course of the next two decades, he spent time in Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami, with the Red Cross in the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, and in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. During these two dozen service trips, he put his home-building talents to work, rebuilding damaged housing and building new homes from the ground up. Along the way he became “Papa Dave” to the dozens of volunteers and locals whom he befriended.

Closer to home, Dave remained actively engaged in social-justice work. In recent years, he helped resettle refugees, care for unhoused people, and stood proudly with communities whose rights are increasingly under threat. With compassion, good humor, and steadiness, he became, and remains, an inspiration to those around him to find ways to make life better for others.

When not doing rebuilding or resistance work, travelling with his wife, Joanne, or walking his loyal dog, Peggy, Dave could be found tinkering on one of his many antique cars, from MGs to Volvos.

Dave is survived by his wife, Joanne; his children, Elisabeth Kohomban and son-in-law Jeremy Kohomban, David Dobson and daughter-in-law Myriam Denoncourt-Dobson, and Rebecca Cosgrove and son-in-law Bill Cosgrove; his five beloved grandchildren, Nikita, Jordan, and Abigail Kohomban and Serena and Shea Dobson; and his sister, Sallee Dunton.

Family and friends will gather to celebrate Dave’s life on Saturday, January 31st at 2:00 p.m. at Katonah Presbyterian Church,

31 Bedford Road, Katonah, New York.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Fuller Center for Housing, Aiding Children Together, the Emergency Shelter Partnership in Mount Kisco, New York, and Hearts & Homes for Refugees.