John Sidney Hobbs

John Sidney Hobbs died Dec. 13. He was 54.

Hobbs was born Feb. 9, 1959, and grew up in Laguna Beach, Calif. After attending College of the Redwoods in Eureka, Calif., he moved to Livermore until 1993. He was an adventurous guy and moved from there to Lewiston, Idaho, on to Naselle, Wash., then to Temecula, Calif., and finally back to the Pacific Northwest, to settle in Forest Grove, Ore., in 2008.

Hobbs graduated from the College of the Redwoods as a mechanical draftsman in 1981. He graduated from San Jose State University in 1991 with a degree in physical sciences, emphasis in physics. He obtained his teaching credentials from Lewis and Clark College in Lewiston, Idaho, in 1994. At the time of his death he was halfway through a masters in mental health at Walden University.

Hobbs met and married his wife, Lori, on Sept. 3, 1978, while attending school in Eureka. They were married for 35 years.

Hobbs worked for 14 years as a mechanical draftsman in numerous departments at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. After obtaining his degree at SJSU, he decided teaching might be his next venture and obtained his certificate to teach middle and high school math and science. He was able to practice his craft in Naselle, Wash. and Moreno Valley, Calif. He then went on to work in the geo-technical world as a senior soils technician for Geocon, in both the southern California region and finally in the Pacific Northwest in the Beaverton office, where he was transferred in 2008.

Hobbs had an inquisitive and insatiable curiosity which led him to explore and master many hobbies and crafts. He became a true waterman, starting with surfing and sailing while in Southern California. He became a SCUBA diver after meeting his wife and they had many thrills diving in the northern coast of California. For several years he was a member of the Small Boat Racing Association in the San Francisco area and raced both his SunFish and his Lightening sail boats. He studied and became a docent for the San Francisco Maritime Museum. He loved to fish and was accomplished as a spear-fisherman. He branched out to love deep sea saltwater fishing, fly fishing and ice fishing. While in Idaho, he learned white-water rafting and for the last few years he and his wife explored the coastal, river and mountain waters of Oregon fishing and crabbing in their boat and canoe with Izzy, his beloved Labrador. He built his own fishing rods and tied his own flies and was in the process of learning to build his own lures as well. He was a master at building rubber-powered balsa-wood airplanes. He was building his own wooden canoe before his illness prevented him from completing it.

He was an active and participatory father, whether it was coaching his kids in soccer, going on snow camps in February in Northern Idaho with his son and the Boy Scouts or acting as a mailbox post for little girls on big horses during 4-H events. As his kids grew, so did his capacity to support and share in their lives. He tried to attend as many of his son’s matches as possible while he played rugby for the University of Oregon, and then as he played with ORSU in Portland, and took his daughter and her grad school class mates on “Friday Cocktail Hour” on his way home from work whenever he was able. His big heart and willingness to accept them all made even the grown-up kids want to spend time with him.

Hobbs was an active member of Emanuel Lutheran Church in Cornelius, Ore. He served on the church council and volunteered for many committees. He was a commissioned Stephen’s Minister and was voted into the “Order of the Arrow” by the Boy Scouts of America, one of the few non-scouting adults to be granted that privilege.

Hobbs is survived by Lori, his best friend and wife; son, Brendan and Katie (his daughter-in-law whom he considered his daughter of the heart) of Beaverton, Ore.; and Cami his daughter who took a break from grad school, moved back home and devoted this past year to act as his full-time caregiver while he battled leukemia. He also is survived by parents, Sidney and Patricia Hobbs of Laguna Niguel, Calif.; his sister, Beth (George) Rojo of Irvine, Calif.; his brother, Andy (Lisa) Hobbs of Westminster, Calif. and brother, Matthew Hobbs of Richmond, Calif. He also is survived by numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom he loved and laughed with over the years.

His funeral will be held Jan. 5, at the Emanuel Lutheran Church in Cornelius, Ore., at 2:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests, if so inclined, non-perishable food items be brought to the funeral to decorate the altar and be given to the Oregon Food Bank afterward. Also, please consider the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society if you are unable to attend and desire to make some sort of donation.