Leslie Hobbs

Leslie Ramona Hobbs, just short of her 95th birthday, died in Springfield on July 28th.

She was born Aug. 19th, 1929 in Lebanon, Oregon, and was the last survivor of the large family of parents, Elsie Alice Downing and James Carper Edward’s of Lacomb, Oregon.

She was raised in Lebanon by her aunt and uncle, Zelma and Harvey Wight, after her mother’s death in 1934. She graduated from Lebanon High School in 1947, and married her high school sweetheart, Richard D. Hobbs, in June 1948. Richard preceded her in death in 2017. They purchased and operated the Lacomb Grocery Store for 14 years. They had three sons; Richard, Gregory, and Mitchell.

They owned and operated two grocery stores in the early ‘60’s; the one in Lacomb, and Campus Market in N. Lebanon. When Richard changed his career to insurance, she assisted in his State Farm office in Lebanon, before they moved the family to Roseburg when he became a district sales manager in 1965. They moved to Seattle in 1970, back to Corvallis in the early ‘80’s, and to Lebanon before he retired. They had a summer home in Sisters, and wintered in Arizona. Eventually, they moved permanently back to Oregon, and lived in Albany and Eugene areas. Richard was a wannabe property developer, so they had a different &/or additional home every few years, keeping her very busy. Maybe it’s why she enjoyed a good gin martini (with 2 olives).

Leslie was a caring and loving person through most of her life. Nearly everyone loved her, and her famous homemade potato salad and rum cake. She was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church in both Lacomb and Lebanon, and sang in their choirs. Leslie was an avid sports fan. She loved the Ducks, Beavers, Sea Hawks, and Mariners!!

After Richard passed in 2017, she moved into assisted living in Eugene. After a decline in health beginning in late 2023, she moved into Shalom Cottages, a hospice care home in Springfield, in May 2024. 

She passed peacefully there. She loved her three sons unconditionally, and she will be missed by all who knew her.

She chose to be cremated, and a private, family burial service is planned for a later date. There will be a memorial service to celebrate her life at a future date to be determined.