Edward H. Hobbie

South Deerfield, Massachusetts
Edward H. Hobbie was born May 7, 1931 in Springfield, MA. He died peacefully at the Hospice of The Fisher Home in Amherst, MA on November 21^st, after a lengthy illness with his family by his side. Edward leaves behind his daughters Rachel Hobbie of South Deerfield, Heather Reloj of Deerfield and Margaret Hobbie of Heath. In addition, he leaves behind his dear grandson John Reloj and his nephew Bill Hobbie and his family of Easthampton, MA. Ed is survived by his cousin Frances A. Reynolds, currently of Spencer, MA and her adult children and their families, and many other cousins and dear friends far and wide. Ed was predeceased by his wife, Sheila, in 1990.
Throughout his life, Ed had a passion for history, especially military history, and was known to read a book a day for most of his adult life. As a youth, growing up in Northampton and South Deerfield, Edward attended The Bement School in Old Deerfield. He went on to attend Phillips Academy in Andover. After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1954, Ed enlisted in the US Army where he earned the rank of Captain and served proudly as a member of the 101^st Airborne Division, commonly known as the Green Berets. Ed was proud to have served as a member of the Special Forces and he spent his lifetime working on his shooting skills and supporting the rights of citizens of the United States via his support of the NRA. After serving in the Army, Ed was employed by the State of Massachusetts in various administrative capacities until he retired in 2000.
Ed was a devoted student of nature, a true outdoorsman. In addition to his local hunting and fishing pursuits, he took yearly trips to Canada, New Brunswick and Alberta, driving up with his trusty English Springer Spaniel to hunting camps, finding kinship among the other hunters in the wild. He always used the game he took and was not one to waste food or squander ammunition. His dedication to marksmanship was a defining aspect of his life and he was adept at competitive skeet shooting, sporting clays and upland game hunting. He roamed the fields and the hills with many a dog and fellow hunting enthusiast, for over seventy years. He knew the unique characteristics of the land and was adept at reading the signs of wildlife. His beloved English Springer Spaniel dogs were members of the family and he spent his life teaching his dogs to be efficient and steadfast in their pursuit of game in the great bird hunting spots around Franklin County and beyond.
A Celebration of Ed’s Life will be held at a later date at the convenience of the family. In lieu flowers, his family suggests that memorial contributions be made in his honor to the following organizations: The Conway Sportsman’s Club, P.O. Box 202, Conway, MA 01341, Norwottuck Fish and Game, 1352 West Street, Amherst, MA 01002, and Hospice of The Fisher Home, 1165 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01002.

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