HOBSON Dr. Paul Alexander Robert Hobson - Professor Emeritus of Economics, age 70, of Wolfville, Nova Scotia, passed away suddenly on December 12, 2023.
Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Paul was a son of the late Robert Marshall and Jean 'Jenny' Rita (Nichols) Hobson.
His first adventure was attending Methodist College in Belfast as a boarder at the age of eight. During these years, Paul treasured the time with his grandparents, Captain Robert John and Helen (Marshall) Hobson.
At the age of 16, Paul and his family embarked on another adventure, moving to Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
After high school, Paul continued his formal education, attending York University to earn an undergraduate degree in economics (1974) and then Queen's University, where he was awarded a Master's degree in 1976 and a PhD in 1982.
During his time in Toronto, he met his best friend, Roger 'Lad' Pilkey, affectionately called 'Uncle Lad' by Paul's three daughters. They had a strong friendship and loved spending time together.
Despite living in different provinces, they created opportunities to see each other often and to show up for each other's important milestones.
This continued until Lad's untimely passing in 2020. Paul's own family grew up in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. His formal demeanor, dry humour, and love of travelling and culture is fondly remembered by his girls.
He took trips all over the world and immersed himself in many cultures through language and cuisine, enthusiastically bringing back new culinary and cultural experiences to share with his family and friends.
He was a dedicated teacher and respected professor, with the majority of his career spent teaching and doing research at Acadia University. He was also a Visiting Professor at the University of Western Ontario and Queen's University.
His love of travel provided a new adventure, as he took positions in conjunction with Dalhousie University teaching economics in Jinan, China.
Having just returned from his most recent trip only a few weeks ago, he felt a great deal of pride in his growing Mandarin language skills. Paul loved Wolfville.
He loved St. John's Anglican Church, The Blomidon Inn and its gardens, and the Library Pub. In recent years, he became grandpa to five grandchildren who he adored spending time with.
He was loved by many and loved so many in return. He was a great man, now off on his next grand adventure.
Paul is survived by his beloved daughters, Edey (Matthew Twiddy) Hobson of Charlottetown, Jane (Kenneth Calway) Hobson Calway of Bridgewater and Elizabeth (Alexander Warner) Hobson of Waverley; and their mother, Mary Pritchard; his grandchildren, Devany and Peter Twiddy, Winslow and Harper Calway, and MacLean Warner; his sisters, Fiona Hobson and Mary McPhee, both of Ontario; and his many nieces and nephews. As well as his parents, Paul was predeceased by his grandparents, Captain Robert John and Helen (Marshall) Hobson; and his brothers, Robin and Hugh Hobson.
A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, at St. John's Anglican Church in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, followed by a private family burial. A reception will follow at The Blomidon Inn from 2-4 p.m. Donations in memory may be made to St. John's Anglican Church.
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