William 'Bill' Hobkirk

William “Bill” H. Hobkirk, 83, of Longmont, passed away Wednesday, March 15, 2017, at his home.

Bill was born August 14, 1933, in Williamsville, Ill., to Hugh W. and Evelyn (Wallace) Hobkirk. He grew up on his family farm in Williamsville, attending Williamsville High School.

Bill married Macie Snider in Union City, Tenn., in 1957, spending 26 years together before divorcing in 1983. He then married Betty Hess in Arvada, Colo., in 1983. They lived together in Thermopolis, Wyo., before Betty’s death in October 2001. Bill then married Delores Loughlin in Thermopolis in 2004, but the two divorced in 2005. He relocated to the Longmont area from Thermopolis in 2005.

When Bill first moved to Colorado in 1964, he spent his summers employed with Rocky Mountain National Park, helping to maintain the park’s pristine beauty. He also worked as a bus driver with the Jefferson County school system before accepting a teaching position at Warren Tech in Lakewood, Colo., teaching horticulture. After twelve years of teaching, Bill continued driving school buses for the Jefferson County school system before retiring in 1995. After his retirement, Bill worked part-time for Little Valley Nursery in Brighton, Colo.

Bill was a lifelong member of the St. Andrew Society of Colorado. He enjoyed bird watching, ornithology, and classic cars. Bill was also an accomplished woodworker and machinist. Some of his creations were model carriages and stagecoaches, which he built to scale and by hand, based on authentic, historical drawings and blueprints. For many years, Bill’s wagons were on display at the Hot Springs County Museum in Thermopolis, Wyo.

Bill is survived by his daughters, Mari Hobkirk (Joseph Andregg) and Lori Hobkirk (Tom Hanson); step-daughters, Jonnalee (Chris) Holmes, Julie Hess, and Sheryl (Marc) Hudson; and one grandson, Carter Hanson.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and his second wife, Betty Hess.

A memorial service will be held at the Ahlberg Funeral Chapel on Sunday, April 9, at 1 p.m. A reception immediately following the service will be held at Lori’s home in Boulder. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to The Nature Conservancy. Donations can be submitted online at http://www.nature.org or mailed to The Nature Conservancy, Attn: Treasury, 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203. Cremation entrusted to Ahlberg Funeral Chapel and Crematory. Visit http://www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com to share condolences.