Preston Hobart, of Winthrop, went to be with The Lord in his home on Dec. 20, 2013, at the age of 76, due to circumstances related to Alzheimer’s disease. He will be remembered as a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, and a devoted husband and father to his children. He was a giver of help whenever needed.
Preston was born Oct. 26, 1937, in Englewood, N.J., to Freeland and Florence Hobart. He graduated from Brown University with B.A. and B.S. mechanical engineering degrees. He was known for his deep radio announcer voice and traveled with the Brown University Club choir. After college he joined Texas Instruments as a field engineer.
In 1968, Preston married Laurie Leithead and remained happily married for nearly 44 years. They raised two wonderful boys and after the boys went off to college, Preston and Laurie adopted a daughter from Bulgaria.
The Eldec Corporation and the Harry Levinson Company were his next two careers. In 1988, Pres bought the Harry Levinson Company.
While raising their family in Seattle, Laurie and Pres fell in love with the beauty and activities of the Methow Valley, spending many family vacations at Early Winters Resort. In 1999, Preston and Laurie along with Lew and Judy Blakeney, Patricia Stamets and Linda Schneidler started the Methow Valley Ranch and the Methow Valley Ranch House of Prayer. For the past 13 years they have hosted groups and individuals for a variety of retreats.
Preston lived a very fruitful life, taking mission trips to Turkmenistan, Israel, Egypt, Bulgaria and Cyprus, praying for people throughout the world. In 2008, he became the president of Changing a Generation, founded by Ceitci Demirkova. The organization assists over 1,000 children every month educationally, physically and spiritually in Bulgaria, Ghana and Uganda.
As well as serving in churches, Preston was active in a variety of community causes including the Gideons and The Cove, serving as the chairman of the board for two years, emeritus after his retirement. A special favorite was the weekly men’s Bible study at the Covenant Church in Twisp.
Preston enjoyed all that the Methow Valley had to offer and especially loved Methow Valley cross country skiing and exercising outdoors. He also enjoyed tending to his vast vegetable garden and fruit trees, and then enjoying the fruits of his labor throughout the winter.
Preston is survived by his wife, Laurie, of Winthrop; his sister Janice Josselyn of Denver; two sons, Robert Preston Hobart of Seattle and Timothy Michael Hobart of Vancouver, Wash.; daughter Christina Brewer of Santa Fe, N.M.; and seven awesome grandchildren.
Remembrances in Preston’s name can be made to Cascade Bible Church, Changing a Generation Nonprofit Organization www.ceitci.org, or The Cove.
A memorial service to celebrate Preston’s homecoming into the Kingdom of Heaven will be held at the Cascade Bible Church, 1119 N. Methow Valley Highway Twisp, at 3 p.m. on Jan. 18. He was buried in Sullivan Cemetery in Winthrop on Dec. 30, 2013.
