Terrance "Terry" Michael Hobin

If you knew Terry Hobin, you likely knew that he cared about you. Maybe he’d show up unexpectedly to see how you were doing, or dropped a note in your mailbox. Maybe he was with you when you were sick or your loved one was dying. Maybe he quietly supported you financially when you most needed help. Maybe he thought differently than you did and tried to better understand your position. No matter how you knew Terry, one thing is certain – you gave his life meaning.

When Terry passed away on October 30 he was surrounded by the love of his sons and daughters – a love they saw demonstrated daily by their father and their late mother Dorothy (Hurley).

Terry was born on January 9, 1933 in Sarnia, Ontario to Kathleen Croft and Joseph Hobin and from a young age took on family responsibilities. He met Dorothy while they were in highschool and after studying and marrying they moved first to Terrace Bay, then Stratford and finally settled in Woodstock where they raised four children and were very active as volunteers in the community. Terry taught highschool math at Woodstock Collegiate Institute for many years and he took a great interest in helping those who struggled with math, always offering extra support and encouragement.

A tinkerer, citizen scientist, gardener and nature lover, Terry was ahead of his time in his concern for his environmental impact, cycling for transportation, reusing and reducing, and treading lightly. A regular on the Burgess Trail in Woodstock, Terry loved to hike. Perhaps the greatest experiences of his life were his three trips to Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago with his daughter and granddaughter in his later years.

Possessing a fierce intelligence and unending curiosity, Terry spent his life seeking out opportunities to learn, to experience new things and to truly get to know those he encountered. He loved language, a good story, a witty joke and music. His deep sense of social justice defined the way he led his life – his door and his life were always open to those who needed help or simply a friend and he actively fought injustice through his life.

After losing his beloved wife almost thirty years ago, Terry grew beautifully into his double-duty role as parent, grandparent and great-grandparent, embracing the additional responsibilities and becoming an accomplished baker of muffins.

A man of deep faith, Terry’s spirituality was central to his being and was always evolving. He was struck by the commonality at the centre of religious beliefs and he valued his time spent learning from those of different faiths. In the past year, Terry had found a great deal of peace in reflecting on what he had learned and his belief that it is LOVE that is core to how we should live as individuals and as a society.

Terry will be deeply missed by his children Tom, Cathy, Ellen and Michael; his grandchildren Leo, Chris, Emily, Darren, Makayla, Nicholas and Ruby; his great-grandchildren Ella, Louis, Owen, Chloe and Edith; his brother Brian (Janet); his in-laws Jack, Nora, Mary Jane and Margaret (Ken); his many nieces and nephews; and his treasured friends. Terry was pre-deceased by his daughter Genevieve, his parents and his siblings John, Ann, Pauline, Joseph, and Norman.

The family would like to thank those who so compassionately helped to care for Terry this fall.

There will be a visitation on Sunday, November 20 from 2 to 4pm and 6 to 8pm at Brock & Visser Funeral Home, 845 Devonshire Ave, Woodstock. Funeral Mass on Monday, November 21 at 11am at Holy Trinity Church,1420 Devonshire Ave, Woodstock.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Indwell, directed to “Woodstock Program Support” would be appreciated, or, do as Terry would do, and visit those in need of friendship.