John P. Dobbins; Led San Marino’s Citizen Donation Drive

John P. Dobbins, 80, who led a post-Proposition 13 campaign urging citizen donations to support the San Marino city government. Dobbins devised his plan after learning that the 1978 property tax-cut proposal would leave the city $1.5 million in the red. Fearing cutbacks in police, fire and public works services, and with the City Council’s blessing, he asked the city’s well-heeled residents to donate 15% of the $2,000 he estimated each would save on property taxes under the new state law. Residents responded with their checkbooks, earning Dobbins national publicity and praise. The multifaceted Dobbins worked 40 years as a research scientist for Rockwell International, developing the liquid crystal and equipment to launch the microfiche industry. For the past two decades, the retired Dobbins has devoted himself to studying metabolism and its relationship to degenerative disease, and was a consultant on health preservation. He served as San Marino chairman of the Red Cross, was a science counselor to San Gabriel Valley Boy Scouts and was a local host to foreign guests for the Pasadena Sister Cities Committee. On Aug. 19 in San Marino of liver failure.