Lester Edward Hobbs Jr.

February 22, 1947 – January 29, 2022

Les Hobbs of Carson City passed peacefully on Saturday, January 29, 2022, after a year-long battle with melanoma cancer. Born February 22, 1947, in Gloucester, Massachusetts, he was 74 years old. He moved to Los Angeles, California with his mother and younger sister, Christina when he was about 5 years old. His mother married the man he knew as Dad, Frank Rudin, and the family expanded with the birth of his brother, Donald. He graduated in 1966 from Belmont High School where he played French horn in the orchestra. His love of music continued throughout his life often making up songs and silly jingles for his family.

He served his country during the Vietnam War as a Signalman in the Navy along the many delta waterways. After his honorable discharge in 1971, a job with Lloyds Bank led to his career in banking where he served in various positions including Auditor, Operations Manager, and District Customer Service Manager. He was greatly appreciated by his customers and was an excellent manager. He was astute in seeing people’s talents and providing guidance to reach their potential.

Not long after his discharge from the Navy, he met his first wife, Deanna (Cross), and her daughter, Shannon. During their marriage, they welcomed two daughters, Kristin and Stacy. While working full time, and raising a family, Les managed to squeeze in classes at UCLA. He was a lifelong Bruins fan and had an endless number of UCLA sweatshirts, caps, and memorabilia. He loved basketball, and John Wooden was one of his greatest heroes. He believed in Wooden’s leadership style and his Pyramid of Success.

In 1978, the family moved to Overland Park, Kansas and Les remained there until 1987 when he returned to Los Angeles. His time as a Kansas resident made him a Kansas City Chiefs fan and he always rooted for the Chiefs unless they were up against the Los Angeles Rams.

While working at his favorite bank, Santa Monica Bank, Les met his wife, Mary (Johnson). It wasn’t long before Mary, and her daughter, Ashley became a permanent part of his life and many adventures. After residing in Santa Monica for 5 years, they moved to Carson City, Nevada, to be closer to his aging parents and to enjoy a smaller community. Les took up fishing and spent many a Saturday with his buddies fishing among the lakes of the northern Sierra Nevada Mountains.

His first of many trips to Hawaii was in 1984. Whether he was enjoying a luau at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, honoring the servicemen at Pearl Harbor, or sipping a cocktail he loved the Aloha spirit, the ocean, and the abundance of seafood. He even hiked Diamondhead on his last Hawaiian adventure.

His wife’s pursuit of a graduate degree lead them to Las Vegas while she studied at UNLV. He greatly enjoyed the fine dining available in Vegas as well as hours of people watching while visiting the Strip. However, to once again enjoy a slower pace of living and the beauty of the mountains, they returned to Carson City in 2019.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Hobbs, his daughters, Shannon, Kristin (Andrew), Stacy (Kris), and his beloved grandkids, Jeremy (22), Jason (20), Cameron (19), Joshua (19), Luke (18), Emma (15), and Abby (11), Anthony (9), as well as his sister, Christina. He is proceeded in death by his parents, Frank and Mary; his daughter, Ashley; his brother, Donald and his nephew, Frank.

We will be comforted in remembering his love for his family, how proud he was of us, and cherished us. We will be reminded of him with songs by Jimmy Buffet, episodes of Magnum P.I., or Tommy Bahama shirts. He is gone but never forgotten.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Friday, February 25, 2022, at FitzHenry’s Funeral Home at 11:00 am. Donations honoring Les may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at http://giftfunds.stjude.org/LesterEHobbsMemorialFund .

“Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.” John Wooden

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.fitzhenrysfuneralhome.net for the Hobbs family.