Trustee Doug Mabie ’86, whose love of Denison permeated so many facets of life, died Sept. 12, 2024, at age 60.
“Family, friends, fun, and philanthropy were his four cornerstones,” Chris Lindblad ’86 said. “Denison was at the heart of all four.”
Mabie had a successful 35-year career in wealth management but is best remembered for his warmth, generosity, and playful spirit. He was happiest surrounded by friends and family, preferably on a dance floor where the 6-foot-6 Mabie was the life of every party.
At Denison, he met his wife, Annie Mabie Ravenscroft ’87, sitting on a ledge outside Slayter Hall. The couple married at the Philadelphia Zoo in 1990 and had three children: Rachel ’16, Heather, and Ross. Mabie was active in the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and graduated with a degree in economics before earning his master’s in business administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Back in his native Chicago, Mabie immersed himself in community service. He started the Springboard Foundation, which aims to improve the quality of life in the city’s economically challenged neighborhoods. Over the years, Springboard has awarded millions in grants to deserving educational programs.
“My dad was very much a volunteer,” Rachel Mabie said. “That was a constant drumbeat through his adult life.”
He was so passionate about serving his alma mater that family members jokingly dubbed it his “fourth child.” In 2014, he joined the Board of Trustees and worked on the investment, student life, and honorary degrees committees.
“If Denison needed something, Doug was the first to raise his hand,” board member James Glerum Jr. ’82 said. “He was deeply proud of what Denison stands for and the tangible gains we have made in various rankings and national recognition.”
Mabie promised to remain silent when Rachel was applying for colleges, but on the morning she received her letter of acceptance from Denison, he broke his vow in spectacular fashion, marching down the stairs of the family home dressed in Big Red gear.
At his daughter’s 2016 commencement, he was among the speakers, telling the audience, “To say this is one of the biggest thrills of my life is an understatement.” Mabie handed Rachel her diploma on stage.
“I don’t think it gets any better than that,” she said.
Mabie loved golf, bike-riding, rock and roll, and his beloved Chicago White Sox. Anyone who witnessed his dancing never forgot the sight.
“His moves were ridiculous, arms flailing in the air, always in the middle of the floor,” Rachel Mabie said. “People would just stop and watch. He brought us all so much joy.”