Obituary of Joseph O. Hobbs

Joseph Oliver Hobbs II, 96 of South Glastonbury passed away peacefully On Wednesday, December 9. 2020. He was a loving and kind husband, father, brother, uncle, good neighbor and friend to all who knew him. Joseph was born July 31, 1924 to Joseph Harold Hobbs and Helen Blevins Hobbs of North Hampton, New Hampshire. He was predeceased by his wife of 61 years, Allison Comstock Hobbs. He is survived by his son, Joseph O. Hobbs III and fiancee, Amy of East Hampton, daughter Corinne Hobbs of East Hampton and daughter, Kit Hobbs of South Glastonbury. He was predeceased by his sister Shirley Craven of North Hampton, New Hampshire and leaves a sister Jean Dearborn of Kensington, New Hampshire along with several nieces and nephews. Joe graduated from high school in his hometown of North Hampton, NH and immediately joined the Air Force in March 1943. Joe attended Technical Training Command at the Aviation Institute of Technology in Long Island, New York and Turbo Supercharger Service Training school in April of 1943. He was selected as a member of a detached service group assigned to a B 26 field at Earles Colne where he worked on salvaging B 26 Airplanes. He arrived in England in September 1943 and was sent to an RAF based on the outskirts of London called Bovingdon with the specific task to repair a Lockheed P 38. In late September 1943 he was stationed at Stanstead, England and then he was dispatched to a RAF field at Manston, County Kent, near Margate. Joe served his country proudly, eventually achieving the rank of sergeant in the 96th Depot Repair Squadron. He landed on Omaha Beach in June of 1944 and after that moved inland to Le Moley, Normandy where he worked on servicing and repairing P47’s until he left Germany. He served in England, France and Germany. After the war, Joe resumed his education at Tilton Prep. School and the University of New Hampshire where he graduated as a mechanical engineer. Joe and Allison met in her hometown of Millinocket, Maine where Joe worked as an engineer at the Great Northern Paper Mill. They were married in 1952 and until Allison passed in 2013. Joe had a long and successful career at Pratt and Whitney and retired in1986. He was instrumental in the design and production of the JT 8 D and JT 10 D. He met many of his lifelong friends there and maintained these friendships throughout the years. This was very important to him. Joe enjoyed reading about the war and the military. Fortunately, Joe was healthy and continued to maintain good health and mental acuity into the last year of his life. He loved to play golf and was on a league until last year and enjoyed doing crossword puzzles. He loved his home on Stockade Road where he lived since 1964. Neighbors could see him riding his electric 3 wheel bike to get his hair cut in the village center. Joe was a member of the New England Air Museum (NEAM) and visited many times. Joe loved anything mechanical, could fix anything and found pride in maintaining old engines. He enjoyed listening to big band music and making people smile with his jokes. He and Allison had a vacation home in Punta Gorda, Fl where they spent many enjoyable winters. They also flew to England and visited where he had WWII training. Due to Covid restrictions a memorial of Joe’s life will be held at a later date. Donations in his memory may be made to the New England Air Museum or Disabled American Veterans.