David Caravello

David J. Caravello, veteran broadcast journalist, retired CBS news producer and husband, brother, uncle, and friend passed away on November 7, 2022 after a long struggle with cancer. He was 80.

David was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 17, 1942, and grew up in the suburb of LaGrange. He attended St Cletus grade school and the seminary of the Catholic order of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Missouri and Mississippi. He received a master’s degree in philosophy from St Xavier University of Chicago in 1968.

After graduation, David worked as an organizer for a number of local, state and federal elections. He served as a legislative assistant in the administration of Illinois Governor Dan Walker from 1973 to 1976.

David joined CBS in 1977 as a political analyst and producer for WBBM-TV, the CBS-owned station in Chicago. He produced daily political commentary and a weekly half hour interview show, "Newsmakers." He moved to the CBS News Midwest bureau as a producer in 1981, and to the CBS News Washington bureau in 1983.

He traveled the globe with CBS correspondents and crews covering a range of national and international events, including elections, terrorism, political upheaval, regional economic issues and natural disasters. His numerous professional awards include a George Polk Award for network television reporting, a duPont-Columbia University Award for excellence in journalism and a Peabody Award for coverage of the 1989 Tiananmen Square uprising in Beijing. After 28 years, David packed his “go bag” and retired in 2005.

After he retired, David turned his time and energy to volunteer activities. He taught English and literacy skills to adult speakers of other languages through several programs in Montgomery County, MD. He volunteered with the AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Film Festival to pre-screen documentary submittals and serve as a guide during the festival. He donated time to Shepherd's Table in Silver Spring, MD, helping with meals and maintenance.

David could turn any activity into an adventure. A walk in the woods could become a safari; a drive in the country a pilgrimage. No museum was too small for him to explore; no historic site too obscure to warrant investigation- and critique.

David was a magnet for his family. He loved to spend time with his nieces and nephews, and always had a place for them to visit - or stay for a while. He taught them to pound crabs and make meatballs. They taught him the art of pea shooting and lightening bug capture-and-release techniques. He never tired of 4th of July trips to the Capital Mall or outings to Gettysburg. He genuinely enjoyed their company, encouraged them and learned from them.

David is survived by his wife, Mary Ellen Lynch of Silver Spring, MD; his sister Martha and brother-in-law Jerry Barich of Irvine, CA; his brother Joe Caravello and sister-in-law Marge of St Joseph, MI; his sister-in-law, Linda Caravello of Oro Valley, AZ and numerous nieces and nephews. His younger brother, Tim, passed away in 1999, but never left David's heart.­­­­­­­­­­

David was grateful to the many caregivers of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer center at Sibley Memorial Hospital for their care and kindness during his frequent visits. He appreciated the cards and calls from family and friends that kept his spirits high, and the help of his neighbors who lifted him up during his last week. And he was captivated by his great-nephew, baby Max, whom he never met in person but whose videos of smiles and laughs and sunflowers brightened his days and reminded him of the promise of the future.

We will miss David’s love, humor and humanity.