David Podoff

06/30/1940 - 11/21/2025

Dr. David Podoff, 85, formerly of Bethesda, Maryland, now of Lexington, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on November 21, 2025. David was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY where he met his late wife Barbara (Feinberg) Podoff to whom he was married for more than 61 years.

David and Barbara built a beautiful life together. After he graduated from Baruch College they moved to Boston, Massachusetts where he attended graduate school at MIT and earned his PhD in Economics. They embarked on a cross-country adventure when they headed west to California where David taught at UC Santa Barbara. After a few years they returned to the east coast and eventually settled in Bethesda, MD when he began working for the Social Security Administration. Thus began his illustrious career as a champion of Social Security and healthcare reform.

David later worked for the Joint Economic Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, ultimately becoming the Democratic Staff Director and Chief Economist under the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Senator Moynihan respected and relied heavily on David's deep expertise in economics, health policy and other subjects and David was proud to call him a mentor and friend. David was the principal architect of the Moynihan-Kerrey bill on Social Security known as the Social Security Solvency Act of 1999, one of his proudest accomplishments. Upon retiring in 2000, David was appointed to the Social Security Advisory Board and became an adjunct professor for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Georgetown University and Baruch College. He continued to advocate for a progressive social agenda up until his passing.

Outside of work, David was an avid sports fan and rooted for the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Dallas Cowboys. His love for the Dodgers began as a boy in Brooklyn and watching them win the World Series in a thrilling game seven just weeks ago was truly memorable. David coached his daughter Jill's youth soccer teams, loved going for family bike rides, and enjoyed grilling and gardening. He also relished being a grandfather. Known simply as David to Liam and Brooke, he enjoyed being silly with them, teaching them to make the perfect cup of coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice, and playing countless games of Ticket to Ride and chess. David loved the beaches of Cape Cod, Massachusetts and, after spending many summer vacations there, he realized his dream of owning a retirement home in Harwich where he and Barbara would watch the sunsets at Red River Beach.

David is survived by his daughter Jill (Podoff) Carter, son-in-law Justen Carter, and grandchildren Liam and Brooke Carter, all of Needham, Massachusetts; sister Annabelle Landau of Marina Del Ray, California; and sister-in-law Eleanor Klein of Boynton Beach, Florida. He is predeceased by his parents, Herman and Sarah Podoff.

A celebration of David's life will be held on Sunday, January 25 at 1 p.m. at Waterstone of Lexington in Massachusetts. In lieu of flowers, the family would be grateful if you made a contribution in David's memory to either the American Heart Association or Baruch College.