Janes-Melus Family Tree

Obituary for Theodore R. Dobias

Theodore R. Dobias, of Cornwall, NY entered into eternal rest on June 6, 2016 at home. He was 90 years old. The son of the late Joseph and Veronica Dobias, Ted was born on January 30, 1926 in Klatova, Nova Ves , Czechoslovakia. Ted entered NYMA in 1942. As soon as he turned 17, however, he left school to join the United States Army and fought in Italy with the much heralded 10th. Mountain Division. At war’s end, at the urging of Superintendent Col. Frank A. Pattillo, Ted or “Doby” as his classmates called him, returned for his final two years. A star athlete and fierce competitor, Doby lettered in many sports: boxing, lacrosse, baseball, basketball, and football where he was the Team Captain. In his senior year, he was a Cadet Captain and President of his class. Upon graduation, Ted was asked by Col. Pattillo to stay on as a Staff Officer, with the honorary rank of Major. (Later he was promoted to the rank of Colonel). Thus began his uninterrupted 50 year saga of service. In those years, Cadets knew him as “The Maj”, a firm, but fair and consistent mentor. In those five decades, he has been a Tactical Officer, Assistant Commandant, Assistant to the Deputy Superintendent and Director of Studies. He coached boys’ varsity baseball, boxing, junior varsity football and girls’ softball and basketball. Dedication and integrity are what “The Maj” instilled in NYMA cadets, be it on the parade ground, in the classroom, or at the athletic field. He has helped thousands of cadets in his lifetime. He is a friend, a father image, and a teacher. Anyone who has come in contact with him knows how much he loved young people. The cadets were his life, and he had dedicated that life to the betterment of the Academy and the development of fine young men and women. If any cadet had not come into contact with “Doby”, then he or she has definitely been short changed. Colonel Dobias is the personification of the word “Dedication”, and his memory will live in the hearts of all graduates for many years to come. During the years when NYMA hosted the annual “Camp All America”, Doby had the opportunity to work with many college and professional coaches and athletes. He said that he always tried to instill “pride, spirit and brotherhood”, and to make their residence, Dingley Hall, a home away from home. He was also a Tactical Officer in Wright Hall and Pattillo Hall. Ted served on the Zoning Board of Appeals for the Town of Cornwall, a school Crossing Guard in Cornwall-On-Hudson and was a devoted member of St. Thomas of Canterbury Church. Ted is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Shirley H. Dobias, at home; his son, Ted M. Dobias and wife Lorri of Wallkill, NY; his daughter, Linda A. Dombroski and her husband, Gregory of the Town of Newburgh; two grandchildren, Kara and Bryan. Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, June 10, 2016 at Quigley Bros. Funeral Home, 337 Hudson St. Cornwall-On-Hudson, NY. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 11, 2016 at St. Thomas of Canterbury Church, 340 Hudson Street, Cornwall-On-Hudson, NY. Burial with Military Honors will follow the Mass at St. Thomas Cemetery, Cornwall, NY. Memorial Contributions in Teds name would be greatly appreciated and may be made to Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties, 800 Stony Brook Ct., Newburgh, NY 12550 or St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital, 70 DuBois Street, Newburgh, NY. Arrangements are by Richard J. Sullivan and Kevin Quigley of Quigley Bros. Funeral Home; to send condolences or to get directions to the funeral home, please go to www.Quigleybros.com

New York Military Academy (NYMA) Nestled in the woods of the Hudson Highlands located halfway between West Point and Newburgh, lies the village of Cornwall-on-Hudson, N.Y., home of the New York Military Academy, last of the military schools that resided in a state that once hosted many of the most prestigious military prep schools in our country.

Although most readers have never heard of NYMA, they likely are familiar with several of the school's more distinguished former cadets, many of whom are among the most accomplished men in their vocation. This listing of prominent figures includes John Barnes (1920), former president of Barnes and Noble; Robert Benmosche (1962), former CEO of Met Life, and current CEO of AIG Corporation; Les Brown (1932), Big Band era composer and conductor; Francis Ford Coppola (19560, director, producer, and screenwriter; Troy Donahue (1954), 1960s heart-throb and major feature actor; John Mandel (1944), Grammy Award winning composer; Stephen Sondheim (1946), Broadway composer and lyricist; Donald Trump (1964), real-estate developer and entrepreneur; and Spencer Tunick (1985), renown photographer.

Founded in 1889 by Charles Jefferson Wright, a Civil War veteran who believed that a military structured environment provided the best setting for learning, the academy peacefully co-existed with its quaint neighboring town for over a century, each benefiting from the other's existence.