David Schochet, of Shelburne, MA, died peacefully in the early hours of Saturday, August 15th, 2026, after a long and difficult illness. He was 84 years old. During the final week of his life, his wife, Sue Reed, and daughter, Julie Schochet, were continually by his side as family and friends came to say goodbye and let him know what he had meant to them.

Born and raised in New York City, David was the second son of Rubin and Dorothy Schochet. He attended Stuyvesant High School and Queens College, graduating in 1960 with a BA in American Studies. His love of the outdoors – hiking, biking, kayaking, camping, and above all, travel – took root in these years and never left him.

After college he worked for the NYC Department of Welfare and taught in the city's public schools. In the mid-1960s, when the Vietnam Draft began, David declared himself a conscientious objector. His alternative service of counseling teen drug addicts at a residential rehabilitation home set him on the path he would follow for nearly five decades, beginning with a senior counseling position at The Door, a well-known Manhattan youth services organization.

David worked at The Door until 1984, then moved to western Massachusetts for a 20-year career at Northfield Mount Hermon School, a private high school. Through several reorganizations and titles – Campus Dean, School Dean, Associate Student Dean – his responsibility remained the same: the academic, personal, and emotional welfare of the school's more than 500 students. He was beloved by these students and their parents alike, for his empathy, fairness, and steady advocacy on their behalf.

After retiring from NMH in 2004, David served as Dean of Students for the EXPLORATION summer program, then returned to counseling under his own Teen Life Coaching practice. Over his long career, he helped hundreds of young people through some of the hardest years of their lives, giving them understanding, patience, and confidence.

But David's life was never just his work. He had a deep curiosity about the world – about music, art, history, food, and the politics and cultures of the Middle East – and always seemed to be learning something new. He played guitar and sang at music jams, went to concerts, and, above all, danced: contra, swing, Cajun, zydeco. Whatever the dance, David wanted to be part of it. He traveled the world more than once, less to see new places than to understand how people lived and what they had to teach him. Though David was not religious, he retained a lifelong fascination with Jewish history, culture, literature, and music.

What David loved most was people. He had a rare sensitivity to others and often seemed to understand what someone was feeling before they said it themselves. He asked what you thought, what you were struggling with, what delighted you, and he gave you his full attention. He noticed things. He met people's contradictions and complications with real empathy. People often came away from talking with David feeling more understood, and sometimes understanding themselves a little better.

And he was funny. Quick, observant, and gently playful, he found or made humor in almost everything. For many who knew him, his laughter and beautiful smile are what they'll miss most.

David kept friendships across decades and across the many worlds he moved through. To many people, he was simply one of their best friends. He was curious, perceptive, outgoing, opinionated, caring, always attuned to others, and very funny. There was no one else quite like him.

In addition to his wife Sue and daughter Julie, he leaves behind granddaughter Cheylah, sister Victoria, brother-in-law Eric, goddaughter Emma, nephew Greg, niece Rachel, cousins and scores of friends with whom he laughed, danced, sang, talked for hours, explored the world, biked, hiked, kayaked, and made music.

May his memory be a blessing.

Charitable donations in David’s name may be made to The Door in New York City (www.door.org), or the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, MA (www.yiddishbookcenter.org).

Assisting with arrangements is the Cremation Society of New Hampshire, Brattleboro. To view David’s online tribute, send condolences to his family, or for more information, visit www.csnh.com