Marion G. Sobol

Marion Sobol, PhD, died August 12, 2018. Born December 2, 1930, in New York, to Celia and Daniel Gross, she moved to Dallas in 1973. Marion was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, and friend. She was at the forefront of women who helped put cracks in the “glass ceiling” of the predominantly male field of academia. She was the first female full professor in the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University and taught there for 39 years, before retiring at the age of 82. She helped mentor thousands of students who are business leaders in the community today.

Dr. Sobol’s best motivation to accomplish something was always when someone told her she could not do something. She taught her students to always reach for their goals and in her last moments with her granddaughters, she told them "if you want something – go get it". She graduated from Erasmus Hall High School at the age of 16 and completed her undergraduate studies at Syracuse in three and a half years. She attended Brown University and studied there for two years before transferring to the University of Michigan. It was at Michigan where she met her first husband, Harold Sobol, an engineering graduate student. Their first date was during Labor Day weekend, they were engaged at the end of October and married by the end of December. It is not surprising that Dr. Sobol was eventually the first female Fellow of the Decision Sciences Institute – when she made a decision to do something it was a done deal.

While raising her four children, Dr. Sobol taught as an adjunct professor at Rutgers and then Rider University. In 1973 the family moved to Dallas, and she accepted a job at SMU where she was promoted to full professor in 1984, becoming the only female full professor in the business school for 22 years. She served as President of the SMU Faculty Senate 1983-1984. She also served on the Boards of Southwest Jewish Congress, the Texas Winds, and Hillel of SMU.

Throughout her career she received many accolades, including SMU Distinguished University Citizen Award, 2005; Maura Award, 2001; Aaron Sartain Distinguished Faculty Award, 1997; Fellow - Decision Science Institute 1992; Rotunda Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award 1991; SMU Excellence in Teaching Award, Spring 1991.

She took great pride in being a professor, but it was her family that gave her the most joy. She was married to Dr. Harold Sobol for 47 years, and together raised four children, who are all professionals with the same strong values of their parents. She also opened her arms to her two sons-in-law and two daughters-in-law when they married into the family. In her spare time she enjoyed traveling with the family. Harold passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2004 and Marion married Dr. Richard Helgason in 2010. Marion was a loving and energetic mother, but nothing brought more light to her life than her nine grandchildren.

In addition to her husband Richard, she is survived by her sister Lois London (Eddie), her children Diane Sobol and Patrick Allen, Ali Ghorbani, Neil and Rebecca Sobol, Jessica and Howard Taper, Martin and Paige Sobol and her nine grandchildren, Cyna, Javeed, Gabrielle, Samara, Megan, Aubrey, Ella, Harrison and Emily; niece Lisa Kassner (Scott), nephew Daniel (Kayla) Goldwag. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, August 15th, at noon at Sparkman Hillcrest.

In lieu of flowers the family requests contributions be made in her honor to Congregation Beth Torah, 720 Lookout Drive, Richardson, TX 75080, or to Hillel of Dallas at SMU, 7615 Currin Drive, Dallas, Texas 75230.