David Raphael, part-time Lecturer at the University of Vermont (UVM), died January 12, 2022. A landscape architect, he taught students in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources and in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for nearly 40 years.

David grew up in Providence, Rhode Island and earned his Master’s in Landscape Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 1977. Two years later, he and his wife and their young family moved to Panton, Vermont where they eventually built a house on ten acres. David donated countless hours and much expertise to the town as Chair of the planning commission.

In 1986, David founded LandWorks, his landscape architecture, planning, and graphic design company. Many of his projects remained close to home in Vermont and others are spread far and wide across the United States. He worked on site plans for ski areas, municipalities, renewable energy projects, and UVM. David conceived of and designed the return of UVM's graduation to the campus green. He designed parks and signage, including Overlook Park in South Burlington, Vermont; the iconic Burlington, Vermont street signage; Alburgh Dunes State Park; UVM wayfinding signage; Utah Olympic Park in Park City; wayfinding signage in Jackson Hole, Wyoming; and much more.

As a part-time Lecturer in the Rubenstein School, since 1982, David shared his love for the environment with generations of students, many of them in the Parks, Recreation and Tourism (formerly Recreation Management) major. He taught the course Landscape Architecture for Parks and Recreation for more than 25 years, and he often hired students at his landscape design firm to help them learn more.

“I knew David Raphael for many years as a UVM colleague, friend, fellow outdoors enthusiast, successful business owner, and a part-time faculty member appreciated by his students for the value his teaching added to their UVM learning,” said Dave Kaufman, Senior Lecturer in the Rubenstein School Parks, Recreation and Tourism Program. “David was passionate about his work as a career landscape architect and he shared that passion with his students, in the classroom and in the field. Our students were fortunate to have been the beneficiaries of David’s knowledge and enthusiasm.”

David’s landscape architecture course included a service-learning component for which students worked on projects with community partners. A collaboration with the City of Burlington landed David’s class on the front page of the Burlington Free Press in December 2017, as the students presented their ideas to city officials to redesign the city’s neglected outdoor spaces.

In fall 2019, Ray Coffey and Heather Carrington, both officials with the City of Winooski, partnered with David’s course to envision possibilities for "lost spaces" in the city. The students created a vision for reviving neglected outdoor spaces and contributed to the city’s plans for parks and open spaces. For their partnership with David and his students, Ray and Heather received the UVM Office of Community Engaged Learning 2020 Outstanding Community Partner Award – New Partnership.  

David also partnered with faculty, staff, and students on Greening of Aiken and Greening of Rubenstein School projects to help increase the environmental sustainability of UVM’s George D. Aiken Center, home to the Rubenstein School. Most recently, he served as a project partner in the senior capstone NR 206 course, Environmental Problem Solving and Impact Assessment, for which he led a team of students in a landscape design plan for the Panton town beach.

“David was a remarkable colleague, mentor, and friend to so many of us at UVM, in particular to the students he impacted through the courses he taught in our Parks, Recreation and Tourism Program,” said Rubenstein School Dean Nancy Mathews. “He believed in getting students into the community to learn and to have an impact beyond the classroom. And he accomplished it with such joy and enthusiasm.”

In addition to his work with the Rubenstein School, David had a large and growing presence in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He was integral in the College's master site plan for the historic UVM Morgan Horse Farm and was scheduled to begin teaching this spring semester in the Department of Community Development and Applied Economics (CDAE).

"David's hands-on and thoughtful approach was ever present as we built our Community Centered Design major from the ground up," said Jane Kolodinsky, CDAE Professor and Chair. "He offered his wisdom to address key questions like: How do you design walkable communities? How do you restore community/nature connections? What is the best way to interpret and communicate using design principles? He has made such an impact in our department and college."

David Raphael’s impacts reached many at UVM and beyond – students, alumni, faculty, and communities. He shared his enthusiasm for the environment, sustainability, outdoor recreation, and landscape design and interpretation.

David died while doing what he loved — hiking in the woods. 

Adapted from David’s obituary in the Addison County Independent, January 17, 2022.