John Allen Hobbs

John Allen Hobbs, age 90, passed away peacefully on May 21, 2024 after a brief illness. His passing was preceded just months earlier by his beloved wife, Jacque, the two of whom would be celebrating their 67th wedding anniversary this June. John was born in Oklahoma City to Haskell and Loretto Hobbs and was the oldest of six children, which included Paul, Mary Lou, Jane, Charles and Sharon. John would be among the first class to graduate from Central Catholic High School, now known as Bishop McGuinness High School, the same high school where multiple generations of the Hobbs family would subsequently attend. John enrolled at the University of Notre Dame where, as a sophomore, would meet a beautiful, petite, blue eyed girl from Chicago, Jacqueline “Jacque” Buckley on a blind date. He would later tell his grandchildren that it was love at first sight. With great joy, John and Jacque were married in Chicago on the 29th of June 1957. After a honeymoon to Bermuda and a short stay in Chicago, they were off to raise a family in Oklahoma City, OK and join the family business, Southern Coffee & Restaurant Supply Co.

Together, John and Jacque had five children: John Hobbs (Jody), Susan Hemans (David), Michael Hobbs (Michele), Mark Hobbs (Steffani), and Kristy Morton (Jeff). Their family would grow over the years with the addition of spouses, eleven grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. His grandchildren, Ashley, Lauren and Tyler Hobbs; Nick (wife Deanna and son Cole), Scott (wife Erin and children Stella, Violet and Nash) and Zac (wife Siera and soon-to-be son Hudson John) Hemans; Adie and Connor Hobbs; Samantha Hobbs; and Jackson and Grady Morton will greatly miss their dear “Poppie” who was known for his personalized emojis and giving away lucky $2 bills for holidays and special events. His children and grandchildren marvel at his use of the Apple Watch, knowledge of current events, curiosity to learn, downloading of music and use of other apps.

John was deeply passionate about his country, his Catholic faith, education and of course his family. At Notre Dame, John joined the ROTC and would later serve more than three decades in the United States Army Reserves, reaching the rank of Colonel. He proudly flew his US flag to his last day on earth and ensured all of his children knew how to properly fold it. This passion would extend to historical sites as well. The annual seven people packed into a station wagon for vacation traversing the country which always included a stop at a presidential library, Lincoln’s tomb, a civil war battlefield or an old gold mining town - memories cherished! John and Jacque shared a deep Catholic faith that they built their lives around. They were active 60+ year members of Christ the King Catholic Church serving in multiple capacities. For 17 consecutive years one or more of their children attended Christ the King School. It was in this environment that the Hobbs’ befriended so many lifelong friends that would stretch across multiple generations - so blessed! While working at Southern Coffee, John studied in the evenings and attained his MBA. He would later leverage this degree and passion for education to pursue a second career as a professor at Oklahoma City University and the University of Oklahoma. John and Jacque were incredibly generous, giving and sacrificed to ensure that their children were well rounded and prepared for life. Providing work opportunities at the family business engrained accountability, ensuring all obtained a college degree was an incredible sacrifice, and most importantly the love, commitment and respect John and Jacque had for each other will serve as a model for all generations to come. The stern and disciplined young father that would morph into a generous, loving, and witty grandparent who will be sorely missed by all.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Christ the King Catholic Church, 8005 Dorset Dr., at 1:00 PM Monday, June 3^rd, followed by a brief reception, then burial with military honors at Resurrection Memorial Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations made to Christ the King Catholic School Endowment and Annual Fund