Ella Beck Dobson

Mrs. Ella Beck Dobson “Beth” passed away on February 7, 2024, in Hyattsville, Maryland. Ella Elizabeth Beck Dobson was born November 29, 1938, in Greenville, SC to the late Joseph Elbert Beck Sr and Florence Purvis Beck. Ella (Beth to many) was educated in the public schools of Greenville, where she graduated in 1956 as class Valedictorian with a certificate of commendation from the Greenville chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Following graduation, she attended Fisk University and graduated with honors in the class of 1960; she went on to later receive her master’s degree in Numerical Science from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore Maryland. In 1960 Ella married Charles Dobson with whom she had her only child, Hans Beck Dobson. She is survived by her son, Hans Dobson.

Professionally Ella worked for short periods of time at Boeing Aerospace Company, and the University of Florida (extension); but her primary career spanned 36 years at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory from which she retired as Principal Professional Staff in 1998. During her career she conducted research in many areas but primarily in Geoscience which included but was not limited to remote sensing of the Atmosphere and Oceanography. Ella authored/co-authored eleven publications, a Chapter in a book, and amassed over 250 citations in many scientific papers.

Preceding her in death were her brothers Joseph Elbert Jr., Jesse Cornelius, and Charles Purvis. She is survived by son, Mr. Hans Dobson, her sister, Mrs. Lois Scott, brothers, Mr. Luther (Paralee) Beck, Dr. Richard (Argretta) Beck, and a host of nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of her life will be held on March 27, 2024, at Fort Lincoln Funeral Home, with interment at the Fort Lincoln Cemetery in Bladensburg, Maryland.