David Culman Kobrin, led active life
David Culman Kobrin died peacefully Wednesday, July 6, 2022, after a courageous battle against Parkinson’s disease. He was 80 years old. Ambitious, adventurous and playful, David inspired those around him to laugh, be silly and embrace challenges.
Born to Louis and Ida Kobrin in Lynn, Mass., in 1941, he began his life as a Red Sox fan. David attended Norwich University and then Boston University School of Law. It was there that he met Marjorie, the love of his life and wife of 55 years. They married and moved to Oklahoma and then South Korea to fulfill David’s duties as a captain in the U.S. Army. Upon returning to the states, David and Marjorie settled in Mt. Kisco, N.Y., where David became a practicing attorney and a Yankees fan. It was in New York where he and Marjorie began their family; David and Marjorie had three daughters. Each one was a daddy’s girl in her own special way. A kind, caring husband and father, David instilled the same hope for his daughters, “For if you have what I have, then you have everything.” David maintained strong connections with many members of his extended family, and he cherished playing a significant role in the lives of his nieces and nephews.
David led an active life. He loved to travel, speak other languages and try new things. He picked up the guitar during middle age and re-engaged in sailing as a retiree. A skier, golfer and squash player, he utilized his love of activity to fight Parkinson’s in the only way he knew how, by dedicating himself to exercise. David stayed active until the very end, never giving up, for “falling apart is not an option,” he would say in reflection of his circumstances.
David was a writer and a poet, active in the Rehoboth Beach Writers Guild. He tutored Hebrew to students training for their bar and bat mitzvahs in Westchester, N.Y., and Seaside Jewish Community in Rehoboth, including his two granddaughters.
David taught many significant things to those around him. He showed us how to make mistakes and grow from them. He showed us what love looks like and how to maintain a loving relationship. He helped us to stop and appreciate the world; whether from the top of a chairlift or the shore of an ocean: “One, two, three, ahhhhh,” we would say, to take in the beauty of the world.
David is survived by his wife, Marjorie; their three daughters and their partners: Jennifer and David, Lauren and Chris and Shoshana, and Ethan; and his grandchildren: Kiley, Emerson and Ryder. His love, humor and spirit will remain strong in all of them. A man of many words, there are no words to describe this loss for his family. David, may you be at peace; may the four winds blow you safely home.
A funeral service will be held at noon, Sunday, July 10, at Parsell Funeral Homes & Crematorium, Atkins-Lodge Chapel, 16961 Kings Hwy., Lewes. Interment will follow the service at St. Peter’s Cemetery, Pilottown Road, Lewes.
All are invited to join the service via livestream by visiting: parsellfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/permalink/10578274/LTWebcast.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Sussex Parkinson’s, P.O. Box 56, Lewes, DE 19958, sussdeparkinsons.com/donate; or Seaside Jewish Community, 18970 Holland Glade Road, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971, seasidejewishcommunity.com/payment.php.
Visit David’s Life Memorial webpage and sign his virtual guestbook at parsellfuneralhomes.com.
