Save Our Heritage Organisation is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its People In Preservation awards. And SOHO’s 2023’s list of honorees includes high-profile Point Loman Dorothea Laub (above).

Well-known for her philanthropy in Liberty Station and Balboa Park, Laub, along with Diane Coombs, an environmental preservationist, were both presented with lifetime achievement awards by SOHO this year.

“The purpose of these annual awards is to put the spotlight on the people behind well-done preservation projects and on those whose efforts give to the greater community because they add to our shared heritage,” said Alana Coons, SOHO’s education and communications director. “The awards are a bit of a love fest in that they provide an opportunity for SOHO as an organization to thank remarkable preservationists, and at the same time help others recognize what their fellow community members have accomplished in preserving the historic resources of our region.”

San Diego County’s primary historic preservation and advocacy group SOHO, and its PIP Awards, are widely respected and anticipated for lauding the distinguished efforts of San Diegans who preserve the region’s irreplaceable historic buildings, landmarks, landscapes, sites, and neighborhoods, as well as the region’s collective cultural heritage.

Since SOHO launched the PIP program four decades ago, the organization has presented 432 awards to more than 700 individuals, agencies, institutions, and businesses. Though many of the awardees have been public figures, Coons noted: “Our emphasis tends to be on the achievements of regular people doing fine work for the greater good.”

Coons discussed how PIP awardees are role models. “We often refer to the honorees as preservation heroes and heroines because they play such a crucial role in safeguarding our shared history for future generations,” she said. “We celebrate them, not only to acknowledge their contributions but also as a call to action for others to be mindful of the historical treasures around us.”

Added Coons, “This year, looking back over 40 years of winners and still recovering from the pandemic, staff felt the need to shine a brighter light on the critical leadership that nonprofit boards and committee members provide and whose tremendous efforts are often unseen. So, we created a Legacy category to recognize these important volunteers. We named four legacy winners to launch this new category.”

Coons said historical preservation has never been more important. “It’s evident that we are not just facing the risk of losing our historical identity and character; we are experiencing it,” she said. “Preserving the historical and cultural essence of San Diego is a crucial concern, especially with the current Wild West of development, where anything goes. San Diego is facing significant challenges, and it’s vital for people to pay close attention to what’s happening now.”

Other 2023 SOHO PIP awardees include:

– Carmen Lucas, an Elder in the Kwaaymii Laguna Band of Indians, and the multidisciplinary team of Courtney Ann Coyle, Nick Doose, Rachel Ruston, and Brian Williams are being honored with the Culture Keeper: Tribal Cultural Landscape Award.

– David Goldberg was honored with a Legacy: Cultural Stewardship Award. He joined SOHO in 1978, and in 40-plus years has volunteered in every area from home tour docent to board and committee member to president.

“I’ve always felt a strong connection to history and old buildings,” said Goldberg, who lived in two circa 1915 cottages on the Scripps Institution of Oceanography campus. “But it wasn’t until the mid-1970s that I learned there was a burgeoning preservation movement. It was a revelation that there were kindred spirits who shared my conviction for safeguarding cherished architecture and a sense of place. It’s a privilege to be a part of this wonderful organization that does so much good for the community.”

DOROTHEA LAUB

Dorothea relocated in 1964 from Missouri to San Diego to begin a successful career in residential real estate starting Red Carpet Realty. In 1977, she and her husband Dick Laub relocated to Point Loma and Dorothea continued owning the DL Company, a real estate acquisition and property management company still operating today.

Much of Dorothea’s work has centered around the restoration of Balboa Park’s historic buildings and landscapes, the historic buildings of Liberty Station Arts District, and Point Loma Village restorations. At Liberty Station, her love of dance led to the transformation of a1940s former Navy building into Dorothea Laub Dance Place, now the home of the prominent companies Malashock Dance and San Diego Ballet.

Other enduring projects Dorothea has completed are as varied as faithfully replicating a 1935 Palm Canyon pedestrian bridge that had been lost in Balboa Park, to renovating and revitalizing the 1911 Point Loma Assembly.

Dorothea is on the board of the Point Loma Playhouse and Point Loma Assembly. She has received both City and County Proclamation awards. She is a strong supporter of the NTC Foundation, Hubbs SeaWorld Research Foundation, San Diego Ballet, San Diego Dance Theater, and Spreckels Organ Association. Her hobbies are ballet and jazz dancing and she remains active in real estate acquisition and management of her company.