After a life marked by idealism and writing, David J. Eisen passed on September 16, 2010 in Mount Saint Joseph's Nursing Home in Waterville, Maine, of complications from cancer.

Born in New York City on Sept. 2, 1925, Davd graduated from Horace Mann School in New york before attending the Universities of Missouri and Pennsylvania. He married Shirley Cetron in 1946 and remained married to her until her death earlier this year. Dave and Shirley moved to State Island, New York in 1951, where their two children, Ken Eisen, of Fairfield, Maine and Terry Sinskie, of Dedham, Massachusetts and Harpswell, ME, were born, then to Arlington, Virginia in 1961 and subsequently to Falls Church, VA.

David began his long involvement with newspapers as a report for the Staten Island Advance in 1948, where he worked until 1955 before moving to the Elizabeth (NJ) Daily Journal, where he remained until 1962, serving as Secretary of the North Jersey Newspaper Guild and winning the Newspaper Guild Service Award in 1961.

In 1962, he began his 34 years with the American Newspaper Guild. He was initially Associate Editor, later Editor of their newspaper, The Guild Reporter, before becoming the Guild's Director of Research and Information in 1974, a job he held until is retirement in 1995. He also served as Secretary of the Federation of Guild Reports and directed the Guild's Safety and Health program, speaking widely on VDT hazards and giving testimony before Congress and state lesiglature committees.

His keen interest and ability in Chess saw him win the U.S. Chess Federation's Absolute Postal Chess Championship in 1980 and 1981 and an International Correspondence Chess Master title in 1998. He was a U.S. Chess Federation Tournament Director, a President of the Arlington (VA) Chess Club and a Staten Island (NY) Chess Champion. In additon to his chess accomplishments, David helped the U.S. Chess Federation immensely with providing many games from the many Absolute Chess Championships.

Always keenly involved in progressive causes, he wrote for many magazines, including The New Republic, and was the Treasurer of Washington (CD) Labor for Peace and Secretary of the Northern Virginia chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).

Dave moved to Maine in 2005, and lived in Hallowell as well as Waterville before his death. He is survived by his son Ken of Fairfield, Maine, daughter Terry Sinskie and her husband Brian of Dedham, MA and Harpswell, ME, and by many nephews, nieces and friends.

Memorial gifts in his name and honor can be sent, at Dave's request, to the American Diabetes Association, PO Box 2208, Augusta, Maine 04330, or to Greenpeace, 702 H St. NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC, 20001 or to MoveOn (https://political.moveon.org/donate/check.hetm) or other progressive or humanitarian organizations.

Obituary provided by Terry Sinskie

David J Eisen - may you rest in peace.