David Tavel

David Tavel

David Tavel, Professor Emeritus of Education at the University of Toledo, passed away on March 4, 2021 at the age of 90. From 1961 until his retirement in 1989 he was a Professor of Educational Theory and Social Foundations in the College of Education and served as Department Chairman, Division Director, President of the Ohio Council for the Social Studies, and as President of the UT local American Federation of Teachers.

Born April 25, 1930 in Worcester, Mass, to Bernard and Bessie (Rogers) Tavel, the family moved to Boston where he was raised with younger brothers Don and Mark. Pursuing interests in history, democracy, and education, he received a BA in History with Honors from U. Mass, an MA in History and International Relations from Clark University, and a Masters and Doctorate in Education from Boston University. In 1958 he became an Assistant Professor at Colorado State College. While in Greeley, he met and later married Marcia Channer.

Tavel explained his job as "teaching teachers how to teach." Through his research, writing, and teaching he explored the roles that public education can play in nurturing the growth of equitable democracies. Much of his work focused on Latin America. Modern Educational Controversies, published in 1984, was one of his books.

In 1989, Marcia and David retired to Estes Park, Colorado where they satisfied their love for hiking. In Colorado, Tavel continued a practice of portraying Abraham Lincoln in the classroom. He liked that it "got him into the schools." He was also a weekly editorial columnist for the Estes Park News with a light hearted, thoughtful column titled "On The Other Hand." Always the writer, the historian, and standup comic, he continued to make people think and laugh for many years.

David Tavel is survived by his wife, Marcia, of Estes Park; son, Michael of Denver; daughter, Natasha and her husband Michael Raabe also of the Denver area; and grandchildren, Arlo and Edie Tavel.