John Dobson, the self-taught stargazer who designed the powerful, inexpensive Dobsonian telescope, died January 15, 2014 at a hospital in Burbank, California. He was 98. His death was confirmed by the Burbank chapter of Sidewalk Astronomers, an international organization that John Dobson helped found in 1968. John Dobson was arguably the most influential person in amateur astronomy in the last 30 years. He almost single-handedly revolutionized amateur astronomy by making deep space accessible to millions. Through his free star parties and slide shows, he encouraged both young and old to think about the Universe and observe its beauty with their own eyes.