Garry Doolittle has never forgotten the tremendous impression Kelvin Dobbins made during a tense 4 a.m. conference call in December 2000.

As a field supervisor in the Ann Arbor Public Schools transportation department, Dobbins had been driving the roads since midnight during a storm to assess the travel conditions. With the district’s superintendent, communications and transportation directors on the phone, Dobbins subtly influenced their decision about whether to cancel classes.

Doolittle had recently joined the district as executive director for human resources and legal services and was sitting in on that call.

“He very diplomatically gave the pros and the cons,” Doolittle said. “He was nudging people in the right direction without stepping on the toes of anyone with a title. He was very adroit.”

Dobbins, 52, died Nov. 25 after suffering a pulmonary embolism. He entered St. Joseph Mercy Hospital on Nov. 15 after experiencing seizures and falling into a diabetic coma. After being released from the hospital, he was attempting to recover at his in-laws’ Saginaw home.

Doolittle said Dobbins was skilled at walking "the tightrope between administrators with huge egos and employees with combative attitudes."

"Your energy always went up when he came into the room," he said. "He was always evenly modulated - a very centered, intelligent man and a very quick study.”

An Ypsilanti native, Dobbins was the youngest in a large family. A sister, Georgia Dobbins, shares the original songwriting credit on the Marvelettes “Please, Mr. Postman,” which was Motown Records’ first No. 1 hit.

After retiring from the Ann Arbor district in 2006, Dobbins gave more attention to his First Step Driving School. He founded the business in 1995, offering driving lessons after ending his day at the Swamp - the nickname for the transportation department headquarters - late in the afternoon.

The driving school instructed students from the Lincoln Consolidated, Willow Run and Ypsilanti school districts. This week, more than 200 Lincoln students have joined a Facebook page memorializing him.

Lakeysha Dobbins said her husband focused on work and family.

“He was a very nice, loving-type person,” she said. “Whenever you needed something, he was right there. He would give his last dime if you needed it. He was always helping.”

The couple went on Caribbean cruises together, as well as visiting Las Vegas and Atlantic City. In addition, Dobbins was a roller coaster buff. 

“Every year, he was going to Cedar Point because he loved the roller coasters, loved the thrill,” she said.

He enjoyed reruns of “Dallas” on TV and old cowboy movies.

With the driving school receiving greater emphasis in recent years, his strong suits were highlighted, said Doolittle, who remained friends with him after both left the district. 

“He turned adjectives into superlatives. Honest, smart, hard-working - he went beyond this," he said. "The tragedy is that he neglected his health.”

Doolittle noted Dobbins regularly awarded tuition grants to needy driving students.

Sara Maddock, the mother of one of Dobbins’ students at Lincoln, said, “A lot of students really loved this man.”

Dobbins' family lived in Wayne for several years before moving last June to Canton.

Visitation is scheduled Friday, 2 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at Penn Funeral Home, 3015 Inkster Road in Inkster. The funeral service is scheduled Saturday at 11 a.m., at Cathedral of Faith, 13925 Burt Road, Detroit.

Ronald Ahrens is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.