Stefan Sebastian Dobert - Obituary

tefan Sebastian Dobert, photographer, documentary film maker, and video producer, died peacefully at his home in Fairhaven, Md., on October 22, 2016 after a year-long battle with cancer. He was 78 years old. Just prior to World War II, Stefan's father, Eitel Dobert, wrote a book disparaging the rise of the Hitler regime thus forcing him and his wife, Margarita Dobert to flee their native Germany. In 1938, while temporarily living in Geneva, Switzerland, Stefan was born, then eight months later the young family made its way to the United States. Their first years were spent on a beloved farm just outside of Charlottesville, Va., before finally moving to Bethesda, Md., where he spent his formative years. Stefan was educated at St. John's College in Annapolis, before enlisting in the U.S. Army. It was while stationed in Germany that he found both his passion and career in filming and photography. After completing his military service, he returned to Germany to work for Screen Gems at Studio Hamburg. There, he met his first wife, Urte Petersen, the mother of his three children. For ten years Stefan produced and directed over 50 award winning films on a variety of subjects for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and for the Federal Aviation Administration. In 1976, Stefan started his own film production company, Stefan Dobert Productions, Inc. He became renowned in the industry for his well-researched and scripted nature films, educating and informing the public about numerous environmental issues. Over the years, he and his wife/ production partner Claire, traveled the Americas meeting, interviewing, and filming such subjects as the Annual Spring Waterfowl Population Survey, the National Wildlife Refuge Systems, the Federal Duck Stamp Program, all for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In addition, a myriad of stories were produced for the U.S. Information Agency, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and several conservation organizations. The majority of his clients worked with him for years and often decades. And many of those same clients became dear friends. Over the years he won over 50 CINE Golden Eagle awards as well as numerous other video and film recognitions. To this day his films are viewed and used in national parks throughout the U.S. and have become part of our environmental legacy. He is survived by his wife, Claire Guimond Dobert; daughter Sabrina, husband Andrew Robinson and their three daughters, Lorelei, Sienna and Tessa of San Diego, Calif.; son Pascal of Portland, Ore.; and son Alexander, his wife Denitsa and their three children, Katarina, Sebastian and Matthias of Washington, D.C.; and brother Peter and his wife MerrieSue of Portland, Ore. Contributions in Stefan's honor can be made to the following organizations: Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care, 6934 Aviation Blvd. Suite N-R, Glen Burnie, MD. 21061 www.seasonsfoundation.org. National Wildlife Refuge Association, 1001 Connecticut Ave, NW, Suite 905, Washington, D.C., 20036