W Noel Hobson

W. Noel Hobson, 85, of Van Buren, passed away on October 7, 2017 at home. He was born on January 29, 1932 near Eudora, Arkansas to Claud Evan Hobson and Nancy Juanita Allen Hobson. He had three brothers, Elton, Melvin and Ralph, and two sisters, Myra and Margie. He married Ruth Elizabeth Rash in Parkdale, Arkansas on February 19, 1954 and was immediately drafted by the United States Army where he served at 3rd Army Headquarters, Fort McPherson, Georgia as a Counter Intelligence Corp Agent. Noel graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri and worked many years providing specialized systems to the manufacturing sector before starting his own business in 1986, from which he retired. He is survived by his wife, Ruth; four children: Randall and his wife Melanie, Michael and his wife Deborah, Craig and his wife Melanie, and Rebecca Moates and her husband William; 22 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren; one brother, Melvin Hobson, two sisters, Myra Twitchell and Margie Murphy, as well as many nephews and nieces. Pallbearers are his grandsons: Justin, Jonathan, Caleb, Micah and Joshua Hobson and Will Moates. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Thursday, October 12, 2017 in Edwards Funeral Home Chapel. Burial, with United States Army Honors will be at a later time. Services are under the direction of Edwards Funeral Home. The family requests, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to LIFE Outreach International, P.O. Box 982000, Fort Worth, Texas 76182-8000.