Walter Anton Dobrian

More than anyone else, Tony Dobrian served as an inspirational strength in our extended family. While he wasn´t the first of us to escape the limited horizons of working in the local steel mill; his values, beliefs, and aspirations greatly influenced all those around him. He emphasized the positive aspects of life, championed fairness, believed in the fundamental goodness of humanity, and cherished the supportive bonds of family and friends. With a few short personal examples below, I´ll try to convey at least some of what Uncle Tony gave to me during my formative years.
One of my earliest memories of Uncle Tony occurred during my first ride as a passenger on a bicycle. Uncle Tony had a bike with a wire basket attached to the handle bars, and I was small enough (perhaps 3 years old) to comfortably fit into that basket. During that ride we sped down small hill on Connecticut Street in Gary, Indiana, and I absolutely loved the thrill and excitement of that adventure.
Another simple event illustrates the kindness and personal interest in others that characterized Uncle Tony. While he was stationed in Germany in the 1950s, he sent me a postcard describing some of the geography and history of the local area. As an 11-year-old kid, I felt extremely privileged and honored to have received such an important document--from a foreign country, no less!
Uncle Tony also showed his sensitivity to me by jump-starting my love of reading. While I was still pretty young, he introduced me to McWhinney´s Jaunt, The Spirit of St. Louis, and Don Quixote. Uncle Tony took the time to discover what my interests were, and at the same time tried to introduce the concepts of justice, curiosity, and adventure through the various books that he gave to me. To this day I sometimes think about passages in Cervantes or Lindbergh that take me back to the days of that pre-adolescent kid
One of the many traditions of a 3-generation family in the early 1950s involved a friendly football game at Thanksgiving. Along with Uncle Tony and cousins Jerry, Patsy, and Jackie, we would gather outside to work up an appetite before dinner. On one of these occasions Uncle Tony was really sick with the flu, but nevertheless succumbed to our insistent pestering him to join us in play. In previous years he invariably soundly defeated "the cousin´s team", but this year he just couldn´t muster enough energy to push through being sick and deal with us youngsters. After it was over, he celebrated with us, and allowed us to believe that we had won the equivalent of the Super Bowl.
In so many ways Uncle Tony presented qualities that encouraged and energized me as well as other members of our extended family. He led by example, always emphasizing what was honorable, positive, and good. He also celebrated the closeness of family while at the same time valued personal initiative and independence. He gave back to the community through a vibrant professional life, yet did not neglect those dear to him. He truly was a very special person. (Attached photo taken at Christmas, 1943).

Ron Urban