Larry Cleveland Hobbs

Larry Cleveland Hobbs, 85, passed away on June 23, 2025 in Rio Rancho, NM. He was the youngest of four boys born to Marvin L and Beulah Edna (Cochran) Hobbs. His parents and three brothers (Marvin Dwight, Donald Ray and Kenneth Lee Hobbs) preceded him in death. Larry was born on the family farm near Cabool, MO on May 22, 1940. He attended grammar school in a one-room schoolhouse near the farmstead. He graduated from Cabool High School in 1958. He was drafted into the US Army in 1963, assigned to the Signal Corps, and assigned to an Army base in Germany near Stuttgart. After being honorably discharged from the Army in 1965 Larry and his first wife, Donna (nee Smith), moved to Lee’s Summit, MO where Larry went to work for Western Electric Company. When the company had a reduction in force, Larry used his severance package to start his own business in the automotive after-market, which he operated for the next 20 years.

He married his current wife, Carlene (Brown) Hobbs, in 1998. Larry and Carlene met on a ski trip with the Kansas City Ski Club in 1983. Their romance began later that year. The couple traveled all over the US visiting National Parks and other scenic places in the US. They fell in love with the southwest. Larry and Carlene also enjoyed numerous sports activities including skiing, golfing, cycling, hiking, volleyball, and tennis. Larry loved the mountains, so the couple retired to New Mexico in 2006.

Larry developed professional level skills building wood furniture. He eventually built nearly all of the family furniture, following the designs of Greene and Greene architects and the early 20th century Craftsman style. He could see a picture in a book and build his own version of the item using his imagination. His preferred building materials were cherry and mahogany. In addition to furnishing the family home he made numerous furniture items for friends according to their own ideas.

Larry had a great sense of humor, and even in his advanced suffering from Alzheimer’s disease he could make his caregivers laugh. He was a sweet and gentle man, and he will be greatly missed.

Private memorial services will be held in Kansas City. In lieu of flowers, his wife requests donations to the Alzheimer’s Association, https://www.alz.org/newmexico, PO Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011; or to Disabled American Veterans, https://www.dav.org/, PO Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45230-0301.