Franklin Warren Hobbs, III passed away peacefully in his home on September 11, 2021. He was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts on March 8, 1924. Frank and his brother, Andrew G. P. Hobbs, lost their parents early in their lives and were raised by their maternal grandmother, Helen H. Pierce.
Frank attended Brooks School and completed one year at Harvard College before he enlisted in the Army. He was stationed at the University of Maryland and given intense instruction in French with the intent that ultimately he would be dropped in behind enemy lines. However, it was decided that at 6’3” he was too tall to be a Frenchman and was transferred to the Signal Corps where he served primarily in the Pacific and specifically at Iwo Jima.
After the war, he returned to New Bedford and married Margery Gundry Baird in October, 1946. The newlyweds moved to Manchester, New Hampshire where he was responsible for a textile plant making lingerie. They subsequently moved to Hallowell, Maine and then to Ponce, Puerto Rico where he continued to manage textile plants. The Hobbs returned to Cambridge, Massachusetts when Frank entered Harvard Business School. After graduation, Marge and Frank moved to Concord, Massachusetts where they spent many wonderful years bringing up their family of four children.
Frank had a varied professional career with senior positions at several electronics companies (one of which he co-founded), a prefabricated home company, a radar tower manufacturer and an emergency light company. In his spare time, he owned three car washes, oversaw the management of a Howard Johnson motel/restaurant and started a company manufacturing protective sheathing for fiber optics. In today’s world, he would likely be called a turnaround specialist.
Frank loved nature. His happiest times were growing tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, watching his bee hives, nurturing many generations of Muscovy ducks, rabbits, fish and dogs of all breeds. Frank was an outdoorsman. He hunted, fished, skied, sailed, boated, loved tennis and golf. He did everything with great enthusiasm.
He had multiple hobbies. He built one of the first fiberglass boats in the cellar of his home; he collected Rockingham ware of all shapes and sizes; he put together an extensive collection of whaling prints; he made homemade wine, peach brandy and green tomato pickle; he elaborately decorated sea shells; and, he was a voracious reader. There was always something going on in Frank’s world.
Frank had a wide range of eclectic friends including his long time New Bedford pals, small business owners, architects and artists. He was involved with the Lloyd Center in South Dartmouth and the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and was supportive of his children’s schools. Frank was very fortunate to have married Margaret Doane who was a loving partner with whom he shared many activities for the last quarter of his life. He is survived by three children: Franklin W. Hobbs, IV; Helen H. Hobbs; and Matthew B. Hobbs. His son, William B. R. Hobbs, died in 2019. He also leaves two stepchildren, Sharon Moore andScot Doane , 10 grandchildren, three step grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.
A memorial will be held on Saturday, October 9that 11:30AM at The Wamsutta Club, 427 County Street New Bedford, Massachusetts. Contributions in Frank's memory will be welcome at Lloyd Center for the Environment, 430 Potomska Road, South Dartmouth, MA 02748