James David Cobb

David grew up in Glen Ellyn and Winnetka, attended Crow Island Elementary School, The Webb School in Bell Buckle Tennessee and graduated from New Trier High School. He won the Speed Skating championships as a boy and sailed The Papinta out of Belmont Harbor with his sisters, brother and friends in tow. He used to race to Fort Lauderdale and Daytona Beach with his buddy Johnny Willis, where they would cause general mayhem, which he enjoyed telling stories about. He also participated as a cowboy bucking hay in Montana when he hitch hiked across the country. He met the love of his life, Judy, when he arrived at a blind date in his black horn rim glasses, white t shirt and purple Porsche speedster. Needless to say, the arrangement went off swimmingly and the two sold the Papinta to dock on dry land and raise four children in Glencoe.

Judy and David participated together in producing the Junior High Project Play at Central School in Glencoe for many years and performed in the Sacred Heart performances during the annual Nite Lights fundraisers. David almost always forgot his lines, which drew quite the amusement from the audience, but he quickly won them back with his highly skilled singing voice, one he honed in the US Navy. Judy and David also performed together in community theater at The Women’s Library Club in Glencoe where again, David forgot lines, but Judy’s choreography and his singing voice, once again, drew ovations.

David built his family summer home with a rag tag crew he compiled in Kelly Lake, Wisconsin. They referred to architectural plans his son drew up in college. The place still boasts both a license plate and the original building permit from the 90’s. There, David taught his children and nieces and nephews the value of a good breeze, and how to read “puffs” on the water when he taught them to sail in his red Scorpion sailboat. He also enjoyed pontooning, building and fixing all types of things and laughed uproariously at cartoons with his 9 grandchildren.

David was a bear of a man who possessed the unique qualities of both being completely free and able to perceive endless possibilities where others might not. He polished silver at the holidays and shined his shoes for festive occasions. He often spoke of his Brigadier Captain ranks in the United States Navy during Vietnam, when he navigated and parked The USS Blandy in Naples, Italy among other ports. He was a certified celestial navigator and water witch. David also sang at his piano the song, Give My Regards to Broadway. He loved his many miniature schnauzers and family with deep attention and enthusiasm; he often let them hold the flashlight when he fixed his cars, and other things at night. He believed in God and coached soccer and hockey.

David is survived by his wife, Judy; 4 grown children, Jason, Kara, Darcy and Christopher; his 9 grandchildren, Emilia, Benjamin, Kendall, Marney, TJ (deceased) Jett, Houston, Kiley , and Claire; his daughters and sons-in-law, Heather (deceased), Steve, and Katie; his nieces and nephews in both Chicago, Phoenix, Dallas and Western states.

He was the son of Herbert and Virginia Cobb, Brother to Susan, Sally, Peggy, and Charles (Jack).

His celebration of life ceremonies will be on Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 at Sacred Heart Church, Divine Mercy Parish in Hubbard Woods with a visitation at 10:00 AM until mass at 11:00. He will live on in our hearts whenever we feel the wind. He will be dearly missed, he was deeply loved. We were blessed to have him for as long as we did. Rest in Peace.

The mass will be available to view via livestream at: www.divinemercynorthshore.org.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MarshFuneralHome.com for the Cobb family.