HOBBS, John Edward

July 29, 1925 — June 13, 2016

John Hobbs was born on July 29, 1925 in Ottawa, Ontario. He loved to downhill ski in his teens, but he already showed signs of the work ethic that he displayed the rest of his life, working on farms in the summers and around Ottawa as a delivery boy the rest of the year. When he was 17, he followed in his father’s footsteps and enrolled underage to fight in the war.  He chose to serve in the Navy and became a signalman due to his keen eyesight.  He served on HMCS Royalmount in the Battle of the North Atlantic. After the war, he decided to stay in the Navy, attending McMaster University as an officer cadet.  It was in Hamilton that he met his wife Audrey Hill.  They were married on May 4, 1951.  In 1952 their son Brian was born, and the next year he was posted to England for officer training, where he attended the coronation of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.  Different postings followed in Halifax, Ottawa and Esquimalt.  He was variously the XO of the destroyer Athabasca, Staff Officer of HMCS Carleton, Captain of the minesweeper HMCS James Bay, Navy Liaison officer for the Sea Cadets in BC and ROTP Supervisor at HMCS Discovery. Having attained the rank of Lt-Commander, he decided he did not want to leave the new family home in Coquitlam, so while working full time as ROTP Training Officer he completed his teacher training at UBC. Daughter Sandra and son Sean joined the family. He left the Navy in 1968 and began working as a teacher in Maple Ridge.  His administrative experience and natural leadership led him to become first the vice-principal of Westview Junior Secondary School, then the principal of Pitt Meadows High School.  He retired in 1983, much beloved by staff and students alike.  At this point he became a globetrotter, travelling to destinations such as China, Mexico, Great Britain, Europe, the southern US, South America and the Caribbean.  He also spent long months at Fintry enjoying the view from the deck and skippering a pleasure boat on Okanagan Lake.  In his later years he suffered from dementia but was able to live at home with the support of his wife and family, until at the age of 89 he moved to his final home, Three Links Manor in Kelowna, where he passed away on June 13, 2016.  A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, June 30^th at 10:00 am at Springfield Funeral Home, 2020 Springfield Road, Kelowna, BC. If you wish to send a condolence, post photos or share a memory, please scroll down the page to the area called “share your condolences.”