DONALD J. SOBOL

SOBOL, DONALD J., 87 years old, son of Ira and Ida Sobol, died 7/11/12 in Miami. His was deeply loved by his family including sister Helen Lane, brother Bruce Sobol (deceased), wife Rose, children Diane, Glenn (deceased), Eric, John, daughters-in-law Donna, Jodi, grandchildren Gregory, Bryan, Lauren and Nicholas. Don graduated from Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York City. As a youth he was an avid sportsman excelling at golf, soccer and baseball. Offered a minor- league contract in baseball, he turned it down and enrolled at Oberlin College. He interrupted his studies to enlist in the army and went on to serve in World War II in the Pacific Theatre with the 239th combat engineers. After the war ended, he returned to Oberlin College, earning his B.A. degree in English in 1948. After graduation, he worked on the editorial staffs of the N.Y. Sun and the Long Island Daily Press and pursued writing his own stories in the evenings. He worked briefly at R. H. Macy in merchandising before devoting himself full-time to freelance writing full-time. His first book, "The Double Quest", was published in 1957. In 1958, he became a successful syndicated columnist with his Two Minute Mystery series. In 1963, Encyclopedia Brown Boy Detective was published, thus launching the most popular series of his career. Don garnered multiple literary awards including the prestigious Edgar Allen Poe award in 1976 given by the Mystery Writers of America. Don authored more than 80 books published in over 15 countries. He wrote on a daily basis right to the very end. However his greatest joy was always his family, his wife, his children and his grandchildren. Friends and relatives may contact the family for details about a reception to be held on Saturday 7/21/12. Donations in honor of Don's memory can be made at www.nypl.org/donaldsobol View this Guest Book at www. MiamiHerald.com/obituaries.