December 1, 1929 – April 5, 2022
Harley William Hobson, 92, passed away at his home in Zionsville surrounded by his loving family on Tuesday afternoon, April 5, 2022. Born on December 1, 1929, in Clarksville, Ind., he was the son of the late Alva K. and Minnie (Johnson) Hobson.
Harley was a 1948 graduate of Sheridan High School. During his high school years, he worked at McDonald’s Hatchery and Sheridan Packing Company. After graduation, Harley proudly served his country as a soldier in the United States Army. When his military service was complete, Harley re-entered the workforce, taking the first steps of what turned out to be a long productive career in the manufacturing industry. He got his start with Sheridan Metal Processing, and after five years took a position with General Motors, working on the electroplating line for 31 years. Harley was proud of his years at GM and was honored that his department was always one of first to be called in when operations would shift to supporting the war effort. When the call would come to switch to military production, his plant was tasked with building parts for helicopters.
He was a lifetime member of the K.V. Elliott American Legion Post 67 of Sheridan and a member of UAW Local 933. Harley and his wife Martha attended Zionsville United Methodist Church.
Harley’s return from the service was also the perfect setting for a Sheridan story that has been told time and time again – when two brothers eloped and married two sisters. Harley, along with his brother Harold, set off on a road trip with girlfriend Martha Jane Baird, and her sister Norma Baird, and on October 9, 1950, Harley and Martha (along with Harold and Norma) were wed. Throughout the years there wasn’t much that wasn’t done as a group. The foursome loved to travel together, and various accounts of their adventures would surface from time to time. Many family members swear that the reason they always traveled with each other was so that they could make up stories to tell when they got back home.
Harley was also well known for his green thumb; there wasn’t much he couldn’t grow. His garden got larger and larger throughout the years, and it was more for others than for himself. He was also a wealth of knowledge about … well … random things. He was a voracious reader and had a seemingly unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Sometimes he would just sit and read the encyclopedia. This would lead him to be able to rattle off obscure facts at the drop of a hat, such as all the past Indy 500 winners. Now, it did help that Harley was a fan of auto racing, both open wheel and NASCAR (Jeff Gordon being his favorite driver), but that is still no less of an impressive feat.
Harley had no greater love in his life than his family. He loved following their activities and was always there to support them in whatever they were going through.
Harley is survived by son, Keith L. Hobson (Lisa) of Zionsville; daughter, Kathy J. Brewer of Zionsville; 11 grandchildren, Gavin Hobson, Graham Hobson (Charity), Jake Hobson, Cora Hobson, John Smith (Kristy), Andy Smith, Jessica Bogus (Mike), Sarah Gregg (Ryan), Erika Rinehart (Morgan), Michael Smith, and Nolan Smith; 18 great-grandchildren, Chaney Smith, Mac Smith, Remington “Remi” Smith, Reece Smith, Lucy Smith, Jacob Jones, John Smith, Eli Smith, Trai Fitzgerald, Nakia Bogus, Treyton Bogus, Adalyn Bogus, Owen Gregg, Liam Gregg, Benton Rinehart, Ava Rinehart, and twins Knox and River Hobson; brothers-in-law, Don Baird of Hawkinsville, Ga., and Jack Baird of Sheridan; sister-in-law, Norma Hobson of Sheridan; and by his trusty sidekick, his canine BFF, Zoey.
He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Kenneth Hobson; sister, Mary Mendenhall; five brothers, Allison, Raymond, Carl, Frank, and Harold Hobson; three sisters-in-law, Doris Stultz, Georgia Moore, and Betty Baker; and by the love of his life, Martha Jane (Baird) Hobson, on September 26, 2021.
Graveside Services with Military Honors will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 30, 2022, at Crown View Cemetery in Sheridan.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Kercheval Funeral Home in Sheridan.
Condolences: kerchevalfuneralhome.com