John Harry Hobbs, 96, passed away on Sept. 1 in Palm Harbor, Fla. He was born on April 16, 1920, in Berwick, Penn., to Patsy and Lenora (Hobbs) Marconi. His younger years were spent in Philadelphia and when he was five, he moved to Middlebush, N.J. Upon the early death of his mother, he and his brother and sister were adopted and brought up by his grandparents, John and Mary Hobbs.
He attended schools in New Brunswick, N.J. and entered the Navy with his brother, both serving on the aircraft carrier Enterprise. He then served as a flight engineer in lighter-than-air (blimp) squadrons based in Lakehurst, N.J., South Weymouth, Mass., Bar Harbor, and Nova Scotia. He completed his 10-year military career aboard the cruiser Providence, in the Mediterranean.
In 1944, he married Madeline Jean Mitchell of Weymouth, Mass., and upon discharge in 1946, he attended the Progressive School of Photography in New Haven, Conn. His first job as a professional photographer was with the DiMarco Studio in Pawtucket, R.I.
In 1947, John and Maddy started Hobbs Studio in East Weymouth, Mass. He was active in local, state, New England, and national photography organizations, serving as president of the Professional Photographers Association of New England. He and Maddy also lectured on portraiture in the U.S., Europe, and India. After selling their studio, they became the Deans of Faculty at the Winona School of Photography in Indiana, while also teaching part time at the Rhode Island School of Photography in Cranston, R.I.
In the early 1960s, John learned to fly, and he was an avid pilot for the next 25 years. He and Maddy used their plane to combine business and pleasure, taking aerial photographs and traveling around the country to photography conventions. They also flew purely for fun – short hops to the Cape for a bowl of chowder and longer trips to Key West or the Bahamas.
Retiring completely in 1985, and able to spend part of the year in Florida and part in Maine, John enjoyed renovating their cottages, sailing and motor boating along the coast, playing bridge with friends, and traveling.
He was predeceased by his parents; brother, Burnham Hobbs; and sister, Phyllis Hobbs Warn.
He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Madeline; son, Kimball Hobbs and wife Robin of Buxton; grandson, Ben Hobbs and wife Sara of Avon Lake, Ohio; granddaughter, Julie Hobbs Currid and husband John of South Euclid, Ohio; and great-grandchildren, Amelia Elizabeth Hobbs, Emerson Alden Hobbs, Emily Kimball Currid, and John Alden “JAC” Currid.
A memorial service will be held in the summer of 2017 in Pemaquid.
