David Collier Hubinger was born June 15, 1932 in Berwyn (Chicago) Illinois, son of Harold Christy Hubinger of Keokuk, Iowa and Jean Murray Hubinger of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and is a “Son of the American Revolution” via his mother’s blood line. His grandfather, John C. Hubinger built “The Hubinger Company” a corn starch manufacturer, in 1887 in Keokuk, Iowa and is still in operation. David passed away at the age of 92 on November 1, 2024 in Wilmington, Delaware.
He grew up in Wilkes-Barre, Kingston, and Glen Summit, Pennsylvania. He was a National Honor Society member and graduated from Kingston High School in 1949 after winning the Pennsylvania State High School Singles Tennis Championship. In 1950, he won the Pennsylvania State Junior singles and doubles tennis titles in Philadelphia. He was inducted into the Luzerne County chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.
In 1953 he graduated from Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. He was on the academic Dean’s List and Vice President of Sigma Chi Fraternity. He was the No.1 tennis player for 4 years winning 95% of all his singles matches and was undefeated as the team captain of the men’s tennis team during his senior year. He was nominated in 1952 as Lafayette’s ideal student and inducted into the Lafayette College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004.
In 1953 he started work at the Eleuthere Irenee (E.I.) du Pont de Nemours Company’s Belle, West Virginia plant. He was called to 2 years active duty with the Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (ROTC) in Maryland and Ohio for the United States Army Ordinance Corps leaving in 1955 as a first lieutenant. After serving as a supervisor at DuPont’s East Chicago, Indiana plant he joined his Department’s Marketing Division with assignments as (1) Technical Representative at Chestnut Run Laboratories in Wilmington, Delaware (2) Technical Representative for the District Sales Office in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania (3) Salesman in Edina (Minneapolis), Minnesota covering 5 states (4) Product Manager in Wilmington, Delaware (5) Manager, Air Pollution Abatement Business (6) Manager, Water Pollution Abatement Business and (7) Sales Training Manager. Following 1989 retirement, he provided consulting services requested by DuPont.
David married Mary Elizabeth “Betsy” Everett of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on July 21, 1962 followed by a reception in Glen Summit, where their parents had adjoining summer properties and homes. After 3 years in Wilmington, Delaware, David was transferred to Edina, Minnesota where in nearby Minneapolis sons, Scott David (1966) and Hugh Collier (1967) were born. Both sons grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, became Eagle Scouts and graduated from The Tatnall School and University of Richmond before marrying Richmond, Virginia area university ladies.
David served on The DuPont Country Club’s Board of Governors from 1973 through 1978 and was President in 1977. He started the much fairer and more convenient computerized golf starting time system called Comstart. From 1970 through 1974, David was the DuPont Country Club tennis champion in both singles and doubles. He also became the DuPont Country Club’s Retirees golf champion for 5 years. He helped win 3 DuPont Retirees bowling league championships.
In 2009, David was inducted into the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2010 he was inducted into the Delaware Tennis Hall of Fame. He won several state singles and doubles tennis championships in Pennsylvania, West Virgina and Delaware. In the Delaware Senior Olympics he won 49 medals (39 gold, 8 silver and 2 bronze) and in 2007 he received their “Outstanding Athlete” Award. In 1995 he won gold medals in tennis, table tennis, golf, and bowling. He holds low gross golf score records in 2 age categories. In the National Senior Olympics, he holds a bronze medal and 4th place ribbon in tennis doubles and high place ribbons in bowling. He has 2 league bowling series over 700 pins and was 1 pin short of a 300 game. He has 2 golf “holes in one” at the DuPont Country Club.
David enjoyed giving back by providing gratis sports instruction throughout his adult life. As Vice President of Tennis, Incorporated of Charleston, West Virginia, he helped increase public tennis courts and facilitated school and summer programs for about 1,000 students per year. He gave adult tennis instruction at Brandywine College in Wilmington, Delaware. In 2000 and 2012, he assisted coaching University of Delaware Bowling Teams. From 2002 through 2008, he taught tennis to students from Harlan, Lombardy, P.S. DuPont and Lancashire Schools. In 2009, David was the first person to initiate a tennis teaching program to 12 “at risk” teenage boys attending Ferris School and in 2011 he held sessions on tennis and life skills at Ferris School.
In the early 1990’s for 2 years he co-chaired the tennis portion of the McDonald’s Championships at DuPont Country Club raising money for children’s charities. David also volunteered for many years at the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame.
David was a longtime member of Concord Presbyterian Church. In addition to religion and sports, he also had interests in history, chess, bridge, music, crossword puzzles, poetry and traveling.
He and his brother, John conceived and commercially manufactured as well as copyrighted a board game called “Bodacious Birds”.
David is predeceased by his wife, Mary Elizabeth “Betsy” Hubinger, and survived by his brother, John M. Hubinger and Carol of Falconhead (Burneyville), Oklahoma; son Scott Hubinger and Debbie of Mechanicsville, Virginia; son Hugh Hubinger and Jody of Richmond, Virginia: grandson Ben Hubinger of New York City, New York and grandson Nathan Hubinger of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Interment will be held on November 15th at 11:00 a.m. at the Lower Brandywine Cemetery, Greenville, Delaware, which will be followed by a “Celebration of Life” luncheon held at the DuPont Country Club starting at noon. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Endowment Fund of the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame, 801 S. Madison Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801. If you prefer to send flowers, please send them to McCrery & Harra Funeral Homes and Crematory, Inc. 3710 Kirkwood Highway, Wilmington, Delaware 19808 and ask that they be delivered before 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, the 14th.
