She was born in Boston, MA on April 9, 1924, the daughter of Samuel T. and Kathleen D. Williams. She was a longtime resident of Keene and graduated from Keene High School. After high school, she attended Keene Teachers College before she met and married her first husband, Robert A. Lowell of Keene during World War II.
She raised her family in Keene and after the untimely death of her husband she returned to Keene Teachers College and graduated with her degree in elementary education in 1959. From 1960 to 1963, she was an elementary school teacher for the Department of Defense Dependents School System in Munich, Germany, where her then husband, Sergeant John A. Hobel, was stationed with the U.S. Army. While stationed in Germany, Mrs. Hobel and her family traveled extensively throughout Western Europe and enjoyed many happy and memorable times.
When the family returned to Keene from Germany, Kathleen taught school for many years in the Swanzey School District. In later years, she worked for the food service department at Keene State College, which she enjoyed immensely and made lasting relationships with many of the students there at the time. In retirement, she enjoyed family gatherings, knitting, reading, and watching and attending Boston Red Sox games. Kathleen was always so immensely proud of her Boston heritage.
Kathleen is predeceased by her parents, her first husband, Robert A. Lowell, her second husband Sergeant John Hobel, from whom she was divorced, her brother, William T. Williams of Keene and by her half-sister Phyllis Boller and her half-brother, COL Paul O’Brien, USAF (Ret).
She is survived by her children COL Robert P. Lowell, USA (Ret) (Cynthia), of Ellicott City, MD, Sharyn K. Dawson (Robert) of Natick, MA, John A. Hobel of Keene; her beloved granddaughter, Stephanie Lowell Griffin (Anthony) of Charlottesville, VA; a nephew, Matthew Boller; and nieces Karen and Maureen O’Brien. She is also survived by her dear sister-in-law, Ann Williams, of Keene; her nephew, Barry Williams (Debbie) of Old Greenwich CT, and their sons Lt. Thomas Williams, USMC, and Paul Williams, all of whom Kathleen was so proud and loved dearly. Above all, Kathleen’s greatest love and joy in her life was her family of which she was so very proud.
A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Friday, June 26, 2020 at 11:00am in St. Bernard Church, 185 Main Street, Keene. The mass will be streamed live on the DiLuzio Foley and Fletcher Funeral Home’s (Foley Funeral Home) Facebook page starting at 11:00am. Burial with committal prayers will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery, Main Street, Keene. Family and friends are invited to call on Friday from 9:30 to 10:30am at the Foley Funeral Home, 49 Court Street, Keene.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, those in attendance at the calling hours as well as the funeral mass are required to wear facemasks and to maintain the physical distancing requirements.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations may be made in Kathleen’s memory to The Community Kitchen, PO Box 564, Keene, NH 03431; or to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Avenue, FL. 17, Chicago, IL 60601.
