Born January 2, 1929, in Delaware, Ohio, he was the only child of L. Dow and Ola M. (Herriott) Hobart. He moved to Mansfield with his parents in 1937 at the age of 8. Gerald lived in the Mansfield area most of his life. He played accordion in his teenage years. He graduated from Mansfield Senior High School in 1946 and attended Ohio State University. Ultimately, he took a four-year apprenticeship in tool and die making. He retired in 1994 after 28 years at General Motors.
Gerald married the love of his life, Dallas L. Fogle, on September 4, 1948, and they shared over 63 years together. She passed away on January 12, 2012.
In his younger years, Gerald enjoyed fishing, boating, hunting, bowling and golf. Later in life he enjoyed camping, woodworking and playing cards. Gerald was a long-time member of First Christian Church in Mansfield. He stated “I just want to live in a house by the side of the road and be a friend of man”, and he did.
Gerald is survived by a son, Larry (Linda) Hobart; daughter, Janet Hobart-Welborn; three grandchildren, Steven (Dana) Hobart, Diane (Jim) Trent and Jessica Welborn; seven great-grandchildren; and six great-great grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 10:00-11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 2, 2022, at the Diamond Street Home of Wappner Funeral Directors, 98 S. Diamond St., Mansfield. The funeral service will follow at 11:00 a.m. with Rev. Gregory Bibler officiating. He will be laid to rest in Fairview Cemetery, Ostrander, Ohio. Contributions may be made to First Christian Church in his memory.
