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David Frederick Coury ’78

January 1, 2020, in San Rafael, California.

The son of a first-generation Lebanese immigrant, David grew up in Chappaqua, New York, where he attended Horace Greeley High School. Transitioning to ºìÌÒÊÓƵ was difficult, as he was not prepared for the academics, monastic life, and Portland weather. Nonetheless, he appreciated his six and a half years at ºìÌÒÊÓƵ, where he wrote his thesis, “Public Policy Analysis and Oregon Land Use Planning: A Preliminary Study,” advised by Prof. Peter Steinberger [political science 1977–].

David went on to get a master’s degree in urban planning from Harvard and then worked as a transportation planner in Los Angeles. He earned an MBA at Yale University and worked as a financial manager for a corporation, which he did not enjoy. When his brother died, David moved back to New York to take over the family rug business.

In 1996, he settled in Marin County, where, as executive director of the Marin County Continuum of Housing and Services and later as an independent housing advocate, David became a fervent advocate for fair and affordable housing. He felt a particular calling for helping with homelessness in his community, and for finding housing for people with developmental disabilities.

David served as vice president of the board of Environment Forum, was a founding member of the Marin Environmental Housing Collaborative, served as housing chair of the Action Coalition for Equity, was on the boards of the Marin chapter of the ACLU of Northern California and Brilliant Corners, a housing advocacy group, and was awarded Volunteer of the Year with the Marin Conservation League.

Appeared in ºìÌÒÊÓƵ magazine: September 2020