Jean A. Hobel

Jean A. Hobel, 88, of Higley, Arizona, passed away on Sunday, November 11, 2012. Born in Buffalo, New York, to Thomas and Anna (Altrieth) Schmidt, the first of two daughters, Jean arrived on November 27, 1923.

Jean is survived by her daughters, Karen Hobel Largman and Patricia Tygret, son-in-law Chip Largman, and son-in-law Kyle Tygret and grandchildren; Magenta, Kayte, Grayson, and Juliette, her sister Carol Mirando, brother-in-law Michael Mirando, sisters-in-law Elly Hobel and Ada Hobel and many nieces and nephews. Jean is preceded in death by her husband, Milt.

Jean worked for General Mills for several years and was extremely active in the USO during WWII.

Jean married Milton H. Hobel on April 17, 1948 in Buffalo, New York. Tired of the harsh, snowy winters of western New York and being the adventurous types, they packed up their Buick and headed out to Tucson, Arizona in 1950. They never looked back. They bought their first house and welcomed their first daughter, Karen in 1955. Milt’s job took them to San Manuel and in 1960 their second daughter Patricia arrived. Next stop was Nogales, where they spent the next 10 years, some of their happiest days. Never being one to be idle, Jean worked as an accountant for several companies during their stay in Nogales. As their daughters got older, Jean was ready for something different. She studied hard and got her real estate license. She was not interested in selling houses, she was looking for a bigger challenge. She began developing over 300 acres of land, north of Tucson in Oracle. An area she and Milt named Cherry Valley. This was no easy task as the land was raw and rugged and the obstacles many. She persevered and was very successful.

Once Milt retired, they traveled extensively. Not all of their trips were international, many were to California and Florida to be with their daughters and welcome each grandchild.

Jean will be remembered for her clever wit, her delicious peanut butter cookies, her unbelievable math skills, her knowledge of current events and her generosity to her daughters and grandchildren.

A memorial service for Jean will be held on Sunday, November 18, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. at Mariposa Gardens Funeral Care, 6747 East Broadway Road, Mesa, Arizona 85206,(480) 830-4422. Arrangements entrusted to Mariposa Gardens Memorial Park and Funeral Care, 400 South Power Road, Mesa, Arizona 85206. Donations can be made to Hospice of the Valley. hov.org or call 602-530-6992. Please leave a tribute to Jean on the family's website at www.MariposaGardens.com.