John Dobbin
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. — John Thomson Dobbin, 94, known as “Jack,” died peacefully on Thursday, May 17, 2018, in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Jack was born in Hartford, Jan. 8, 1924, to Benjamin H. and Marion (Thomson) Dobbin. He grew up in Riverside, graduated from the Loomis School in Windsor and Amherst College, Class of 1945. Jack served in the Army Air Corps for three and a half years as a meteorologist for the Air Transport Command — 1st Lt. Jack joined the Travelers Insurance Company in 1946 and later became an agent for Travelers in Hartford. He earned both the CLU and CPCU designations. He retired as president of Dobbin, Austin & Berry Inc., before becoming president of the Connecticut Chapter of CLU.
Jack is remembered by his friends as an amazing guy. He was bright, kind, with a calm demeanor and loved a good joke. He was a great story teller, lover of Dixieland Jazz and wearing a bow tie. An avid golfer, he looked forward to a round with his buddies, which he did weekly until he was 92.
Jack loved his family and proudly spoke of all the family’s activities. He was a lifetime member of Old Saint Andrews Church, longtime member of the Hampstead Hill Club, West Hartford Golf Club, Masons Island Yacht Club, Mystic Seaport Pilots, Ponte Vedra Club, charter member of Stonington Country Club and was the longest living member of ROMEOS.
Jack is survived by his wife of 66 years, Beverly (Vanderbilt); sons, Tom Dobbin (Sheryl) of Goodyear, Ariz., Ben Dobbin (Barb) of Salt Lake City, Utah; daughter, Susan Dobbin of Mystic; three granddaughters, Samantha, Natalie and Kristin; and two great-granddaughters, Shelby Grace and Carolyn.
He was predeceased by his oldest granddaughter, Hilary.
He and his family lived in West Hartford and spent summers on Masons Island beginning in 1962. Jack and Bev moved permanently to Mystic in 1991 until their final move in 2001 to Vicar’s Landing in Ponte Vedra Beach.
A memorial service will be held at a later date at Old Saint Andrews Church in Bloomfield.
Please visit our tribute online at www.quinn-shalz. com. Arrangements by QuinnShalz Family Funeral Home, Jacksonville Beach, Fla.