Richard D. Tobin

1936 - 2023

Richard D. Tobin

West Lebanon, NH - Richard D. Tobin, 87, died on Friday, November 24, 2023, in Lebanon, NH. He was born on February 5, 1936, in Salem, Massachusetts, the son of James T. and Mary E. (Curran) Tobin. Dick grew up in Salem, MA and graduated from St. Mary Catholic School. He was married to Ellen S. Zbyszynski on October 11, 1953, and enlisted in the Marine Corp the same year. He served during the Korean War and Ellen lived on base with him while in North Carolina and after his overseas deployment, at the base in California. Following his active service they returned to Salem for a few years while Dick furthered his education and graduated from North Eastern School of Technology. He also attended MIT and Wentworth Institute in Boston. Dick began his working career in 1958 with various large electronics companies such as Raytheon, Itek, and Western Electric. In 1963 the family moved to Kingston, NH and continued to work as a consultant in the Boston area. He and Ellen started their own electronics manufacturing company, Tobitron, Inc., which they operated together for more than a decade.

As an entrepreneur, Dick saw great value in supporting the Small Business Association and was active at the national level. He served for three years as chairman of the Small Business Development Association in Washington, DC and was a delegate to the White House on Small Business Affairs in 1986. During his tenure, he testified several times before the Senate Small Business Subcommittee. He was recognized with numerous awards for his significant and outstanding contributions to the small business community, including a recognition from Governor John Sununu for outstanding scientific and technical achievement.

His military experience was an important period of his life. He served as the ambassador for the Seacoast Region of the Marine Corp League and was a member of the Korean War Veterans Association.

Dick and Ellen also worked together as co-executive directors of the American Independence Museum and Folsom Tavern in downtown Exeter, NH for a time before they decided to retire and move to West Lebanon in 2010. Dick found that he couldn't fully retire and continued to consult until he was 81, always with Ellen by his side for support. All of his accomplishments paled in comparison to what fulfilled him the most: doing his best to be a worthy husband and father.

After Ellen's death in 2018, Dick needed a way to move through his grief and so he began to write. His first book, Miss Zib, was published in 2020 and recounted his and Ellen's life together. In his next work, Walking with Miss Zib, he wrote about his experiences of grief and loss through Ellen's diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease and her subsequent death. He completed another two other books that are currently awaiting publication, a science fiction novel and another about his boyhood in Salem.

He was predeceased by his beloved wife of sixty-four years, Ellen S. Tobin; their infant son Richard Tobin; his parents; and his brother James T. Tobin.

Dick is survived by five children Sandra A. Mahoney and husband Steve of Portsmouth, NH, Mary E. Bell and husband Bob of Fryeburg, ME, Richard J. Tobin of Fryeburg, Judy E. Tobin of North Conway, NH, Laurie Tobin Raymond and husband Gary of Lancaster, PA; eleven grandchildren, fifteen great grandchildren, other relatives, and friends.

Visiting hours will be held Tues., Dec. 5, 2023, from 9 until 10 am at Knight Funeral Home in White River Jct., VT. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tues., Dec. 5, at 10:30 am at St. Denis Church in Hanover, NH. A burial with full military honors will follow at 1pm in the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen, NH.

Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one's choice.

Online condolences are invited at www.knightfuneralhomes.com