DAVID F. SQUIRE

1926 - 2025

SQUIRE, David F. Died peacefully at home on February 22nd, age 99. Born in Holyoke, MA, and raised in Brookline, he was an indefatigable go-getter with a big heart and an irrepressible zest for life. While a student at Dartmouth College, David pledged that he would devote himself to public service by the time he turned 40. He also wanted to raise a family and provide them with a comfortable life, while still acquiring all the 100-percent-pima-cotton shirts he desired. So he raised enough cash to buy a small, bankrupt textile mill, and over the next 15 years built it into a profitable company. In 1965, he sold it --a few months shy of his 40th birthday. He then accepted a government position as deputy director of the Job Corps, followed by a stint as senior advisor to the U.S. Mission to the U.N. In 1969, he ditched diplomacy for academia to become vice president of Brandeis University. He retired eleven years later in order to focus on philanthropic causes, such as the American Jewish Committee and the U.N. Global Advisory board, among others. David achieved pretty much everything he set his mind to--and remained a fiercely competitive tennis player into his late 80s. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Patricia; his brother, Alan Skvirsky; three children; four stepchildren; nine grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and the Boston Red Sox. If you wish to honor him, please make a donation to the Heller School at Brandeis or the ACLU.

View the online memorial for David F. SQUIRE