David L. Markell

David L. Markell

Tallahassee, FL - Age 67, passed away March 22, 2021 surrounded by family, after a determined battle with cancer.

Dave was born in Denver, CO to William and Elaine "Leni" Markell. He grew up in Newark, DE and graduated in 1971 from Newark High School. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Brandeis University in 1975, and then received his J.D. from the University of Virginia in 1979. He was an all-around athlete with a love for sports and played college and semi-pro baseball.

After law school, Dave moved from corporate law to prosecuting environmental crimes for the U.S. Department of Justice and EPA. He led enforcement efforts at the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and at the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation in Montreal.

Dave was a well-loved law professor, first at Albany Law School and then at Florida State University (FSU) College of Law beginning in 2002. He was a Visiting Professor at Columbia Law School, University of Virginia Law School, Lewis and Clark College of Law, Melbourne Law School (Australia) and IDC Herzliya Law School (Israel). Dave retired in 2020 as a Professor Emeritus at FSU having published 6 books and more than 50 articles and book chapters on environmental law and other topics, as well as having served the law school as Associate Dean in several capacities. One of Dave's books was cited as "the most outstanding work of legal scholarship in the field" of administrative law and earned an annual ABA Section award for scholarship. In addition to his scholarship and teaching, Dave will be remembered as a colleague and professor who truly cared and was concerned about others.

Dave was also an active and passionate volunteer in the Tallahassee Jewish community. He launched and ran for many years the Tallahassee Jewish Federation Teen Philanthropy Initiative (with support from the Rintels Foundation), a program that empowers teens to identify and address community needs, both locally and in Israel.

Family was the light of Dave's life. Dave married Mona Jacobs in 1991 and together they raised three daughters, Rebecca, Jenny, and Rachel. He was at his best and happiest when his family was together. He coached the girls' teams and cheered at their concerts and performances. He collected friends from every stage of his life and they were of huge support to him throughout his life.

Dave was predeceased by his father, William Markell. He is survived by his wife, Mona, and their daughters, Rebecca, Jenny, and Rachel; his mother, Leni Markell of Newark, DE; sister, Judy Weinstein (Alan) of Mendham, NJ; brother, Jack Markell (Carla) of Wilmington, DE; and many loving nieces and nephews, cousins and friends.

Burial on Thursday, March 25, 2021 will be private. If you would like to attend virtually, please contact Schoenberg Memorial Chapel at 302-762-0334 for zoom information. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Dave's memory to the Brain Tumor Network (braintumornetwork.org) or the David Markell Fund, Jewish Federations of North America. All gifts to the David Markell Fund will be used to support current needs in Israel through Jewish Federations of North America. Kindly send gifts made out to "JFNA" and mail to: attention: Erica Loiacano, David Markell Fund, The Jewish Federations of North America, 25 Broadway, Suite 1700, New York, NY 10004.

SCHOENBERG MEMORIAL CHAPEL