George Cobb

George Whitfield Cobb, 72, passed away on May 6, 2020, after a long illness. He is survived by his wife, Cheryl (Hussey) Cobb, daughter Lee Tae Cobb, son-in-law Tyler McGinnis, sister Jane and brother Hunter. George was born in Nashville to Polly and Whitfield Cobb, attended George School in Pennsylvania and Dartmouth College, where he majored in Russian Literature. Earning a Masters degree from The Medical College of Virginia, he went on to Harvard for a PhD. in Statistics. His first and only job after Harvard was as a faculty member at Mount Holyoke College, where he became the Robert L. Rooke Professor of Mathematics and Statistics and taught from 1974 until his retirement in 2009. At Mount Holyoke, George was beloved as a colleague, teacher, and mentor. Many students and colleagues reflected on their fond memories of his teaching style; remembering experimentation with gummy bears in space and making slime. George was known for his lasting contributions to Statistics Education. He gave many talks and authored and co-authored articles and textbooks that encouraged higher education to rethink the teaching of statistics. He earned the Mount Holyoke Faculty Award for Teaching in 2003.
George was active in The American Statistical Association, chairing committees, editorial boards and from 2003-2006, served as Vice President. He was the first liberal arts college statistician to serve on the Committee for Applied and Theoretical Statistics for the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. ASA made him a Fellow in 1993 and gave him a Founders Award in 2007. The Boston chapter named George The Mosteller Statistician of the Year in 2016. He was the inaugural recipient of the United States Conference on Teaching Statistics Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005, which the organization renamed the George Cobb Award in Statistics Education.
Beyond statistics, George loved spending time with family and friends. He loved nature and hiking and reflected fondly back to his many trips up Mt. Katadin. He spent hours learning banjo in hopes of emulating Earl Scruggs and Bela Fleck. George loved the sea and enjoyed his many trips to Maine and Cape Cod, where he would enjoy lobster rolls and a bowl of chowder. Overall, he took a strong interest in each of his family and friends' passions. Whatever they were interested in: art, music, sports, technology; George would dive in so he could learn along with them.
After Georges' passing, a common phrase was : "Today I lost my best friend." This statement sings to his most authentic form. George contributed significantly to statistics and statistics education, but far more importantly, he was genuinely compassionate and cared for his family, friends, colleagues and students.
The family plans to hold a celebration of Georges' life (with Bluegrass): perhaps in the spring or summer of 2021. Contributions in his memory can be made to: The American Friends Service Committee.