David Frederick Cadbury, 72, of Rockport, died on Feb. 2.
He was born in Philadelphia, Penn. on June 3, 1945, and was the son of Joseph M. and Lucille S. Cadbury (both deceased) of Philadelphia and Waldoboro. After graduating from Germantown Friends School, he attended Wesleyan University in Connecticut for undergraduate school, and Maryland Institute of Art / Peabody Institute in Baltimore, where he received a second undergraduate degree and a masters in sculpture. He also did post-graduate work at the University of Pennsylvania in landscape architecture.
In the early 1980s, David lived in Philadelphia and Maine. He worked as a sculptor, producing conceptional installations about natural and environmental systems. During these years, he served as the chairman of the Nexus Gallery in Philadelphia, and had his work exhibited by Max Protetch and at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. He also established two construction businesses, one that conducted curatorial work and historical restorations for 18th- and 19th-century houses and a second that directed high-end residential and commercial projects. In 1992, David and his family moved to Maine, where he continued working as an artist, and as a building consultant on large-scale commercial construction projects. In his artwork, he began an exploration of computer-generated images, which were exhibited at the Penobscot Marine Museum and in other galleries in Maine.
David held a life-long concern for the environment. He was the founder of Friends of Maine Coastal Islands NWR (formerly Maine Seabird Islands), an effort in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect seabird habitat on Maine’s islands. Recently, he also operated a nautical and antique business from a site in Rockland.
While in Philadelphia, he was active with Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting (Quakers), and served on the boards of Friends Select School and Stapley Hall, a retirement community. In Maine, he was an active member of Midcoast Monthly Meeting of Friends (Quakers) in Damariscotta, where he served as the clerk of the meeting for a number of years.
He and his wife, Karen L. Cadbury, were devoted to each other, and were married for 49 years.
David is survived by wife, Karen; son, Benjamin Cadbury, wife Sarah Cadbury and their children, Samuel Cadbury and Sophia Cadbury; daughter, Rachel Cadbury Gagnon, husband Chad Gagnon, and their children, Corrin Gagnon and Arden Gagnon; brother, Joel Cadbury, wife Bonnie of Marathon, Florida and their daughters; and by many dear relatives and good friends.
A memorial service in Maine to commemorate his life will be announced in the early summer. A private interment will be held in Philadelphia at Southwest Burial Ground sometime following the memorial at the convenience of the family.
If desired, memorial gifts may be made in memory of David F. Cadbury to Friends of Maine Coastal Islands NWR, P.O. Box 1231, Rockland, ME 04841; or the Midcoast Monthly Meeting of Friends, P.O. Box 714, 77 Belvedere Rd., Damariscotta, ME 04543.
Condolences may be shared with the family at www.longfuneralhomecamden.com.
