Allen Hobbs Jr. was born on Saturday, May 21, 1932 to Allen Sr and Vivian Hobbs in Mobile, Alabama, and on Thursday, April 19, 2018 he went to rest with his Lord and Savior. A loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin and friend to many, he was the anchor of his family.

A lifelong resident of Mobile, he graduated from Central High School in 1949, and approximately one year later, was drafted into the U.S. Air Force where he served as an aircraft mechanic. Although he loved the Air Force dearly, he served only four years. However, the impact of his military experience would endure throughout his life. Denied employment at Brookley Field during the mid-1950’s, he used his educational benefits from the GI Bill, and enrolled in the Alabama State University (ASU), graduating in 1957 with a B.S. in Education. While at ASU, he was initiated into the Beta Zeta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and remained an active member with the Mobile Alumni Chapter until failing health limited his participation.

He started his 37 year career with the Mobile County School System as a teacher at Trinity Gardens Elementary School and ended it as a vice principal at Davidson High School. But to so many, he is most known and remembered for the time he spent as a physical education instructor at Booker T. Washington Middle School. A firm disciplinarian, he tried to groom the lives of young boys--getting them ready for manhood by instilling values of self-respect, pride, and the importance of education. On countless occasions many of those boys, now grown men, would stop and thank him for the positive role he played in their lives.

Always “the mechanic,” it was not unusual on Saturday mornings for him to be working on a friend’s car to help them out when money was tight, and was a strong influence on his son becoming a mechanical engineer. He was a passionate fresh water fisherman, and could navigate the Mobile delta without maps or GPS, even at night! Although he was a lifelong member of Mt. Zion, during his middle aged years, he developed a stronger love for the Lord, and started attending Sunday School regularly. This desire to learn more about God subsequently led to him being appointed as a teacher of one of the adult Sunday School classes.

For almost 58 years of his life the Lord blessed him with a loving and devoted wife, Eugenia (Jean), who preceded him into heaven

From that union they had one son, DeAllen. Along with DeAllen, he leaves to cherish his loving memories a daughter-in-law: Synthia Hobbs; two grandchildren: Dexter and Gabrielle Hobbs; two sisters-in-law: Marion “Gaye” Hobbs and Jacqueline Williams; brother-in-law: Dallas (Harriett) Williams; four nieces: Darlene and Sharon Johnson, Tanya Douglas, and Kwanza (Carlos) Zimmerman; two nephews: Kevin and Derrick Hobbs; dearest cousin: Geraldine Smith; and numerous other dear relatives, and friends.

His remains will lie in state on Friday, April 27, 2018 from 1- 8pm at Small’s Mortuary, Mobile. Visitation will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2018 from 9am until the 10:30am Homegoing Celebration at Mount Zion Baptist Church, 1012 Adams Street, Mobile, AL. Interment will follow in the Catholic Cemetery, Mobile, AL.

DIGNIFIED AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ENTRUSTED TO SMALL'S MORTUARY, 950 S. BROAD ST., MOBILE, AL, 36603

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