David Bernhardt Estell Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

David Bernhardt Estell of Bloomington died on Tuesday, February 19, 2019 at the age of 45, following a brief bout with an aggressive form of cancer. He will be sorely missed by his family and friends. David was born on June 28, 1973, in San Diego, California, and spent much of his childhood in Ridgecrest, California, where he formed a number of lifelong friendships. He received a B.S. in Psychology from the University of California at Davis in 1995, and a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2001. After a postdoctoral year at UNC, he began teaching at Indiana University Bloomington as Assistant Professor in the School of Education in 2002. He was promoted to Associate Professor and granted tenure in 2008, and served as the head of both the Human Development and Education Psychology programs. His research interests included social development broadly, with an emphasis on peer relations and peer dynamics. He was committed to the success of his students, who have gone on to become tenured professors at public and private teaching and research universities. David was a devoted father of two girls, with whom he shared his love of science and his interests in Star Wars, Doctor Who, and How to Train Your Dragon. He first experienced Star Wars with his family as a child, and was excited to share his love of the series with his own children. He befriended almost every animal he ever met. He not only adopted his cats from local rescue organizations, but also helped to support their cause. His ideal family vacation involved chances to interact with as many animals as possible, and he took the girls on a trip last summer to do just that. He was delighted and humbled to watch them grow. David is survived by his daughters, Eleanor, age 9, and Lillian (Lily), age 3, of Bloomington; his former wife, Carolyn Munk Estell, of Bloomington; his father, Robert Estell, of Bloomington; and his brother, Michael Estell, of Brookline, Massachusetts. He was predeceased by his mother, Helen Estell. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 9, at Allen Funeral Home in Bloomington. Donations in David’s memory may be made to the college savings plans of Eleanor and Lily; please contact Allen Funeral Home for further information. You are invited to share a memory or leave a condolence for David’s family at allencares.com

Tributes

David Bernhardt Estell

June 29, 1973 - February 19, 2019