David James Sharpe, 95, of Brunswick, Maine, passed away peacefully on March 6, 2026.
David was born in 1930 in New Haven, Connecticut, and raised by his parents in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He graduated with an AB degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He went on to attend UNC Law School, but set his studies aside to serve in the Navy during the Korean War. Following his honorable discharge, David attended the Boston University School of Law and Harvard Law School. He earned a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), and went on to become a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD).
David was a scholar at heart. In 1961, he accepted a position at the George Washington School of Law (then known as the National Law Center), and moved with his family to the Washington, DC metropolitan area. In 1966, he became a full Professor of Law. His primary field was admiralty, with additional focus on studies in federal civil procedure, law and medicine, and remedies. During one of his sabbaticals, he taught at Tulane University School of Law in New Orleans, Louisiana. He published numerous articles for law reviews and similar publications, and co-authored several editions of the West casebook, Cases and Materials on Admiralty. He served on the Advisory Board of Editors of the Journal of Maritime Law and Commerce from 1977 to 2002. He traveled globally as an expert speaker on admiralty. He was an active member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, and was an enthusiastic participant in the MLA’s Practice and Procedure Committee.
David retired from the GW Law School in 1997 to become Professor Emeritus. He was widowed in 2002, and married again in 2004. He is survived by his second wife, Fayal Greene (Wellesley ’58); his daughter, Elizabeth Carswell Sharpe; his son and daughter-in-law, David Boies Sharpe and Eleanor (Galtney) Sharpe; three grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter. David was preceded in death by his father, Robert B. Sharpe; his mother, Mildred C. Sharpe; and his first wife, Margy Lou Pentzien Sharpe.
No formal funeral services will be held. A private family gathering will take place at a later date.