David Avery Vose

David Vose passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family on January 3, 2016, six days prior to his 79th birthday. David was born in Gurnee, Illinois to Avery and Thelma (Christensen) Vose on January 9, 1937. He was raised on a dairy farm near Antioch, Illinois, and had a very close bond with his older brother George. In 1949, George died at age 14. Their mother died four years later, just one week before David’s graduation from Warren Township High School.

David left home to attend the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana on a football scholarship, also serving in the Army ROTC. After his graduation in 1958 he spent two years of active duty in the Army, eventually earning the rank of captain in the Army reserves; he always credited this time with developing his leadership skills. Ultimately he left the military and decided to pursue a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In Madison he met his loving wife of 52 years, Roberta Vickers, with whom he shared a passion for classical music and the arts as well as an appreciation of travel and intellectual pursuits. They were married on December 7, 1963 and have two children, Robert (Amy) of Edina, and Elisabeth of St. Paul, as well as two grandchildren, Laurel and Patrick Vose.

In 1966, David and Roberta moved to Roberta’s hometown of Duluth when David was hired as an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Minnesota Duluth. In 1970, he was appointed UMD’s first Vice Provost for Academic Administration (now Executive Vice Chancellor), holding that position until 1977. He then served as the Dean of the School of Business and Economics (now Labovitz School of Business and Economics) from 1977 until 1992, finally leaving administration and returning to teaching at UMD until his retirement in 2002. He developed many long-lasting friendships at UMD, and regularly met for coffee with other retirees. The collegial atmosphere and interaction with faculty from other disciplines was one of his favorite things about academia; there were very few subjects that David didn’t know something about, and none that he wasn’t eager to learn more about.

David’s honesty, integrity, work ethic and dedication to service benefited numerous community and civic organizations throughout his life. Among the many positions he held, David served on the Duluth Workforce Council, the Miller Dwan Hospital Board, Duluth Chamber of Commerce Board, as President of the Duluth-Superior Symphony Association and on the board for nine years, President of the Lucius Woods Performing Arts Center, Treasurer of the Sugarloaf North Shore Stewardship Association and on the scholarship committee of the Duluth Superior Community Foundation. He was especially dedicated to Rotary, whose motto “Service Above Self” he truly embodied. He was a member of the Rotary Club of Duluth #25 for 33 years, served as Club President in 2003-04 and as District Governor in 2006-07. In 2014 he was proud to receive the Service Above Self award from his Club, and he continued to serve on the District Executive Council as well as the Rotary International Council on Legislation. The friendships he formed through community service were among his most treasured. He was a member of the Kitchi Gammi Club and enjoyed the lively discussions he had over lunch at the “Roundtable.” He loved an informal breakfast group where he and several friends would invite civic leaders to share their perspectives on issues and events impacting the community.

Most of all, David was devoted to his family. He was a longtime UMD hockey fan who loved taking his kids to games when they were young. He made time for family vacations every summer, and he and Roberta regularly attended St. Paul Chamber Orchestra concerts, took weekend trips up the shore, and traveled extensively. He was the consummate craftsman and handyman, doing everything from remodeling and building kitchen cabinets to re-plumbing the entire house. He was a voracious reader, enjoyed gardening and watching wildlife, and saw the beauty in the small wonders of nature, which he shared with his family. He also passed his appreciation of intellectual rigor and honest, good-spirited debate to his children, who will continue to practice it regularly.

David was preceded in death by his parents, his stepmother Helen, brother George, mother-in-law Margie Vickers with whom he had a very warm and close relationship, and his beloved Yorkies Beowulf and Winchester.

He is survived by his wife Roberta; son, Robert (Amy) Vose; daughter, Elisabeth Vose; grandchildren, Laurel and Patrick Vose; sister-in-law, Donalda Voorhees; nieces, Cynde Johnson and Shari Sega & their families.

Memorial Service: 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 11 at the Kitchi Gammi Club, 831 E. Superior St., Duluth MN with visitation beginning at 1 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers that contributions be made to:

The David A. and Roberta J. Vose Scholarship in Economics at the University of Minnesota-Duluth; 213 LSBE, 1318 Kirby Dr., Duluth MN, 55812

The Rotary Club of Duluth Foundation; 505 W. Superior St., Duluth, MN 55802

Sugarloaf: The North Shore Stewardship Association; 6008 London Rd., Duluth, MN 55804 (http://www.sugarloafnorthshore.org)

The Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra; 130 W. Superior St., Suite LL2, Duluth, MN 55802

Or remember David by contributing your time and talents to your preferred community organizations.