Helen (Doswell) Hobbs

Helen Doswell Hobbs was born July 10, 1918, in Fort Wayne, Indiana to Harold “Doc” Doswell and Hannah Stiles Doswell.  She was the second of five children.  She had an older sister, Mary, two younger brothers, John and Jerry, and a younger sister, Sally, all of who preceded her in death.

Helen went to Indiana University in Bloomington, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree, and met her husband-to-be, Marmaduke “Duke” Hobbs of Salem, Indiana.  They were married in 1937, and raised three sons, Arthur (currently living in Bryan, Texas), Jerry (Marina del Rey, California) and Will (Cornelius, Oregon). After earning a law degree, Duke worked for Alcoa and Bendix, finally entering private practice as a patent attorney in South Bend, Indiana, where Helen became his office manager and partner.  Retiring in 1986, they moved to Salem, Indiana until Duke’s passing in 2006.  In 2008, Helen moved to Oregon.

Helen was active throughout her life, earning a teaching degree at St. Mary’s College in South Bend and teaching third grade for two years.  She was involved with Delta Gamma, DAR, PEO and the Antiquarians.   She founded the South Bend Bar Association Women’s Auxiliary.  She was very active in the Episcopal Church, and wrote for various church publication and philosophy and psychology journals.  Recently, she appeared in videos and interviews promoting the POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) advance directive paradigm.

She passed away around 7:15 on the morning of January 9, 2016.  She is survived by her three sons, seven grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Funeral services will be held Saturday at 2:00PM at Weathers Funeral Home with Reverend Charles Carpenter officiating.  Burial will follow in Crown Hill Cemetery.  Visitation will be Saturday from 10:00AM-time of service.