David Irwin Lobbig's Obituary
David I. Lobbig died January 1, 2023, in St. Louis, MO, at the age of 61, after a 10-month battle with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. He passed peacefully at home with family by his side.
David was born in Alton, IL, and spent his entire life in the St. Louis area, traveling frequently across and up and down the Mississippi River. As former president and longtime board member of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, and as Curator of
Environmental Life at the Missouri Historical Society (MHS), he worked tirelessly to protect the natural world and to connect people to the region's rich history. His passion culminated in the 2019 Mighty Mississippi exhibit at MHS, which received the 2022 Award for Excellence by the American Association of State and Local History. He was also awarded the James V. Swift Medal from the St. Louis Mercantile Library, among many honors, awards, and other recognitions. Prior to his career as an environmental educator and activist he earned a BFA in painting at Washington University in St. Louis, where he worked for more than a decade at its Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum (then the Gallery of Art). It was there that he met his wife of 26 years, Jane E. Neidhardt.
In addition to Jane, David is survived by his daughter Margaret N. Lobbig (Usman Hasan); his brother-in-law Marc F. Chipault (Jenny Chipault); his mother-in-law Elizabeth R. Neidhardt (Bernie Pelland); family members from his Alton roots and in-laws; and an untold number of friends, colleagues, acquaintances, activists, and lovers of art, history, nature, and all aspects of the living world.
A celebration of life will be held this spring at the Confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. To learn more as plans solidify, please contact Maggie Lobbig at [email protected].
Memorial donations can be made in David's name:
The Nature Conservancy (https://tinyurl.com/48x5zkx9),
Missouri Coalition for the Environment (https://tinyurl.com/mptb69ny)
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site (https://tinyurl.com/yckr5ez9)
Flameless Cremation services provided by Hughes Funeral Alternatives, LLC in St. Louis, Missouri.
Friends and family can sign an online guestbook at www.HughesFuneralAlternatives.com
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