Darrell Carson Dobbbertin Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Obituary Darrell Carson Dobbertin, 77, passed away of natural causes on July 26, 2020 at his home in San Jose, CA. Darrell had an unquenchable curiosity for life. He loved to explore and think about everything from space and time travel to the betterment of humanity. He was a scientist, writer and deep thinker. He fostered others’ imagination and curiosity for life as well, and he always made other people feel like their ideas mattered. Darrell was born in Rochester, NY on May 13, 1943 and graduated from Irondequoit High School. He was the oldest of five children, loved his younger siblings and did his best to take good care of them. Though he left Rochester in his early years, throughout his life he spoke often of his family and friends back home. Darrell attended Antioch College, graduated from Denver University, and went on to medical school. He had a great passion for medicine and the human body and wanted to help people. He worked in advanced research, and as an electron microscopist for Washington University, CU Boulder, Stanford University, IBM Research, and Philips/FEI and excelled in all his positions. Darrell and his first wife, Judith, met and married at 19 years old. They were married for 11 years and immersed themselves in the Back to the Land movement of the 1970’s in Humboldt County, CA., where they built their own house, and grew their own food. Together they protested the Vietnam War, with Darrell refusing to serve in a war that he didn’t believe in. After separating Darrell remained a devoted father who moved many times in order to be near his three children. As a parent Darrell was attuned to the emotional needs of his daughters, and their need for play and joy. He had a creative and adventurous spirit. Darrell was married to his second wife, Ann, for 25 years. They shared a passion for science and political discussions, as they raised their two children in Mountain View, CA. Theirs was the neighborhood kids' fun house, largely because of Darrell's childlike nature and the time he would spend playing with his children and welcoming their friends on adventures such as camping, swimming, trips to the beach, amusement parks and more. Darrell was always creating fun and mischief. He made everyone laugh - sometimes because it was funny, sometimes because it was uncomfortable. He refused to be tamed by the world. For Darrell, his most important accomplishment was his children. He felt that raising them with love and a sense of worth was the greatest gift he could offer the world. He didn’t have an easy beginning, and there were some hurts that he never healed from. Despite this, he fought his whole life and succeeded in not passing those hurts on to his children. He was a fierce warrior for love and a pacifist who wanted better for all people, especially children, in every corner of the Earth. Darrell leaves behind his five children: Jennie, Kate (Rudiger), Effie, Sara (Nathan), and Ben (Sharon); and his seven beloved grandchildren: Julien, Carmin, Bodin, Kellen, Peter, Amry and Rosie. He is also survived by his cherished siblings: Clark (Sherry), Gail (Bill d. 2013), Paul (Anne), Margaret (Tom); and many nieces and nephews. He remained friendly and continued to celebrate holidays with his ex-wives, Judith and Ann. A wonderful Memorial Zoom Celebration of Life was held on August 22, 2020. Thank you to those who attended! You can also share stories and photos here, or on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/darrell.dobbertin. In Darrell’s honor, the family suggests that a donation please be made to PreventChildAbuse.org. “Imagine all the People… Living Life in Peace.” – John Lennon

Darrell Carson Dobbbertin

May 13, 1943 - July 26, 2020