David Sobba
David Sobba was a devoted father, loving husband, beloved son, loyal brother, compassionate physician and everyone’s best friend. David lived his life here on earth as big and bright as the stars and sun, his unconquerable enthusiasm a source of inspiration and exhaustion to everyone who ever skied, cycled, ran, climbed, fished or played cribbage with him.
A good day for Davey was a “5-sport day.” He lived to compete, whether it was being the first to skin to the top of Big Mountain, the first to finish a grueling bike ride or just bragging rights to the first fish caught on the annual family trips to Sitka. He touched so many in his short 54 years.
A much-loved surgeon, David became increasingly well-known for his holistic and compassionate brand of medicine, which eventually included a wide variety of practices to support the healing process, from nutrition to acupuncture and yoga to Blackfeet sweat lodges and Buddhist meditation. As his long journey turned inward, David insisted that his cancer was a blessing that both challenged and healed him spiritually.
His greatest joy, of course, came from the love of his remarkable children, Perrey and Walter Sobba. David was proud, not just of their intellectual and physical achievements, but of their warmth and compassion.
At the end, he was at peace, knowing that he could count on his friends and family to continue to support Perrey and Walter and their mother, Beth, and proud that his children had the courage to walk beside him with open hearts on his long and difficult journey.
David recently married the love of his life, Sue Purvis, who shared his love of the wilderness and outdoor adventure. Their brief time together was filled with laughter, love and passion.
David had friends all over the world whom he loved with abandon, especially his lifelong co-conspirator Bill Weiss.
David passed away at home Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013, surrounded by some of his many loving friends and family. When asked how he felt, he said, “I’m at peace. I feel serene. There’s so much love!”
Besides his wife Sue and his children, Walter and Perrey, David is survived by his father, Walter Sobba, mother Anne Brohan, his sisters Christine, Kathy, Mary and Annie, and his brothers, Tommy, John and Danny, and their extended families who loved him dearly.
In lieu of flowers, just remember David’s final voicemail message: “Put a big smile on your face and have a great day” ... and pay it forward.
A memorial service was held at 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, at the auditorium at Whitefish Middle School, which is located at the corner of Second Street East and Spokane Avenue in Whitefish. All are welcome.