William Ellis Lobb

William Ellis Lobb, 94, of Readington Township, died on March 28, 2017. He was a retired builder of custom homes and township resident for 52 years. Born in Plainfield on January 22, 1923, Bill was a son of Harrison and Sydna (Ellis) Lobb. He was the husband of Gloria Boylan Lobb for 58 years, until Gloria’s death in 2011. Surviving him are a sister, Joanne Hofstetter, of Normandy Beach, three children: Welles, husband of Theresa Oravec, of Allentown, Pa.; Sally Miller, wife of David McCarty, of Selinsgrove, Pa.; and Nancy Lobb Gulyas, of Readington; and a daughter-in-law, Wonza Lobb, of Bethlehem, Pa. Also surviving are four grandchildren, Maggie Stern, Jennie Reinard, Jesse Miller, and Sara Gulyas, and two great-grandchildren. In addition to his parents and wife, Bill was predeceased by a sister, Elizabeth; a brother, Jean; and a son, Kenneth. Bill grew up in Plainfield and lived there and Fanwood until moving to Readington in 1965. “Welles,” as he was then known, graduated from Plainfield High School in 1942 and was active in the YMCA Leaders Club, a gymnastics group, and in scouting, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. Bill proudly served in the Allied forces in World War II. A U.S. Army Air Corps sergeant, Bill saw combat in North Africa and Italy from mid-1943 to the end of hostilities. Bill later enlisted in the Army Reserves and was called to active duty during the Korean Conflict. With Jean, Bill established a successful home-construction business, Lobb Brothers Inc. The brothers built about 80 high-quality colonial-style homes around Plainfield and Hunterdon County for four decades, including their family residences in Readington. The Lobbs were also avid growers of apples, peaches, and Christmas trees. After retirement, Bill built kitchen cabinets and furniture in his backyard woodshop until age 93. Over his career, Bill created in excess of a thousand individually crafted cabinet units and furnishings. Bill served on the school board of Hunterdon Central Regional High School in the early 1970s. With Gloria, he attended services at Stanton Reformed Church and was hailed around the community as a gentleman and good neighbor. His kindness, wit, and optimism endeared him to many and added “life” to many social gatherings. Visitation will be Friday, March 31, 2017 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, 147 Main Street, Flemington. Interment with military honors will be private at Hillside Cemetery in Scotch Plains NJ. A memorial service to celebrate Bill’s life will be held on Saturday, April 22 at 1:00 p.m. at Stanton Reformed Church, 1 Stanton Mountain Road, Stanton. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Bill’s memory may be made to Stanton Reformed Church Cancer Care Fund, P.O. Box 114, Stanton, NJ 08885. For further information or to leave an online condolence, please visit www.holcombefisher.com.