John Timothy Hobbs, esq. passed into the sweet hereafter on Monday, January 11. He was at home, in the company of his second wife, Marietta Rowe. Mr. Hobbs was seventy-nine years old.
Born and raised in Naches, Washington, the only child of Leonard and Virginia “Peg” Hobbs grew up hunting and fishing in the Cascade Mountains, and was a varsity athlete in three sports. After working for the U.S. Forest Service as a young man, he went on to study at Yakima Valley Community College, the University of Washington, and the Sorbonne in Paris. Along the way, he courted and married Barbara Joyce Hatfield of Yakima, Washington.
In 1968, Mr. Hobbs completed law school at American University in Washington, D.C. and began his legal career in the nation’s capital. While he and Barbara raised their two beloved children in Arlington, Virginia, Mr. Hobbs became a highly respected attorney, protecting the trademarks of high-profile clients throughout the world. When he semi-retired from practicing law at Wiley, Rein LLP in 2005, he and Barbara relocated to a ranch in Enumclaw, Washington, where they raised alpacas against the towering backdrop of Mt. Rainier and watched their grandchildren grow. Barbara died in 2010.
Curiosity and enthusiasm fueled Mr. Hobbs’ remarkable life from beginning to end. He traveled the world, both professionally and recreationally, from Europe to the Far East, from Alaska to Patagonia. He pulled blue marlin from the Atlantic, king salmon from the Pacific, and cutthroat trout from high alpine lakes. He spoke of curveballs and cabernets with equal authority; rode horses, motorcycles, and tractors with equal grace. He climbed mountains, skied down them, and could drive any kind of boat on any kind of water. Mr. Hobbs could build a treehouse as sturdy as an argument, skin and quarter a deer, and recite passages from countless books — in English and French. He cultivated a seemingly endless list of abilities and interests with infinite joy, and he shared them with boundless generosity.
Mr. Hobbs is survived by Marietta, along with his children: Amy Hobbs (Michael Nelson) of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and J. Timothy (Hannah Rachel) Hobbs, Jr. of Maple Valley, Washington; his grandchildren Peri, Miles, and Ava Croan; John Timothy “Trey” Hobbs, III, and Luke M.A. Hobbs; sisters-in-law Mary Beth Hatfield (Rick) Green of West Seattle, and Frieda Clark of Dallas, Texas; and brother-in-law Al Osmanski of Prescott, Arizona. He was deeply loved and will be sorely missed by his extended family including Michael Croan, Bethany and Kelsey Green; Joy and Holly Osmanski; and Andrew Hatfield.
A service will be held on Saturday, January 23, 2021, at 11:00 A.M. in Normandy Park, Washington. Those wishing to attend remotely may do so by Zoom, by emailing croanmiles827@gmail.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Glioblastoma Research Foundation (https://glioblastomafoundation.org/get-involved/donate) in honor of his late wife Barbara.
