Whitworth loses longtime trustee Dave Robblee to cancer

Whitworth Trustee J. David “Dave” Robblee, ’62, lost a courageous battle with cancer on the morning of April 6, 2014, passing peacefully in his sleep. A celebration of his life will be held this Saturday at Newport Covenant Church in Bellevue, Wash., at 2 p.m.

“Dave Robblee embodied what it meant to be a faithful Whitworthian,” says Whitworth President Beck A. Taylor. “His generosity of spirit, his willingness to give of his time and resources, and his heart for serving students made him a great alumnus and trustee.”

A former teacher who performed service work in Thailand in the 1960s, David Robblee was the owner of Six Robblees', Inc., a trucking-parts supplier and distributor in Seattle. In addition to being a business owner, Robblee volunteered for organizations such as Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Seattle Yacht Club, Bridge Ministries for Disability Concerns, the Boy Scouts and Newport Covenant Church.  Most recently, he worked with Bread of Life of Seattle (a rescue mission) and World Vision. Robblee and his wife, Anne, have three children, all Whitworth alums. In his free time, Robblee enjoyed boating, golfing and hiking.

David earned his B.A. in music education from Whitworth in 1962 and joined its board of trustees in October of 1983, serving on the Buildings and Grounds Subcommittee, the Endowment Subcommittee and the Finance and Administration Committee during his 31-year tenure as a trustee.

“Dave reminded all who were near him of the joy of life. We will miss him terribly, but we rejoice that he has found eternal rest with his Savior. Our prayers extend to the entire Robblee family, and to all of those who knew and love Dave,” Taylor says.