William S. Dobkin's Obituary
William “Zaide” Dobkin
January 24, 1931 - April 10, 2024
William (Bill) Dobkin passed away peacefully in inpatient hospice care In Delray Beach, on April 10, 2024. He is survived by his loving wife, Marian Dobkin, their four children and their children’s spouses, Josh and Andrea Dobkin, Leah Dobkin and Leslie Goldberg, Darren and Mindy Dobkin, and Michelle and Gary Feinberg, along with nine grandchildren, seven great grandchildren and one surviving sister, Helena. “Zaide” was cherished by all and he will be dearly missed.
Bill led a remarkable life that included three distinct professional careers. He began with 32 years in education in New York City, first as a Social Studies teacher in the New York City school system, and eventually rising to the position of Assistant Principal. Bill was passionate about teaching Social Studies, was proud to be the first Social Studies teacher in the US whose students won a National Westinghouse Science Award, and was instrumental in the development of the International Baccalaureate Program. He was also a past President of the Association of Teachers of Social Studies, within the United Federation of Teachers, where he was active in developing and improving the NYC School System curriculum. One of Bill's greatest loves was passing on his passion for understanding both history and current events to new generations of students. One of many unique projects he oversaw was the first Holocaust Exhibit in NYC, within a Museum of Migrating People, created in Harry S. Truman High School in the Bronx.
In the middle of his career in the New York City School System, Bill became a college professor at Lehman College in The Bronx, where he inspired countless students to also become teachers.
Bill eventually retired from teaching, but hardly slowed down. After leaving education, he became the Editor of his local hometown newspaper, The Great Neck Record, where he was a trusted friend of the community for his insightful stories, his highly regarded giraffe-based comic series called "The Great Neckers", and his unwavering support of the town, its parks and its people.
Bill was also a passionate tennis player and golfer, and was fortunate to be able to pursue these activities well into advanced age. He especially loved being able to play with his children and grandchildren to help grow their love for his favorite sports. He probably would have stayed at the Great Neck Record for many more years, but his involvement in local tennis groups introduced Bill to local politics and led him to run for a seat as Great Neck Parks Commissioner. He won his election and began the last phase of his professional career as a public servant. Bill’s legacy at the Park District included spearheading the expansion of Steppingstone Park in Kings Point.
Bill was a writer of numerous publications, and a talented painter and cartoonist. His multiple oil paintings captured many themes, primarily his love of family and of the outdoors, and the fight for equality and human rights. His works left a lasting impression on those who were fortunate enough to know Bill and his talent. He was generous distributing his artwork to family and friends, and his legacy lives on through his wonderful paintings.
Bill was gracious and warm until the end. He was both a gentleman and a gentle man. Over the course of his life he had a positive impact on thousands of students, readers, constituents, friends and family who will look back and remember him with great affection.
A funeral chapel service will be held at 1:45 pm, on Friday, April 12, 2024, at Beth Israel Memorial Chapel (DELRAY LOCATION), 5808 West Atlantic Avenue Delray Beach, FL 33484. Interment will follow at Eternal Light Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Those wishing to honor William with a memorial Contribution are kindly encouraged to consider a donation to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) at:
www.aclu.org/action/
or the Environmental Defense Fund at:
donate.edf.org
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