Jean (Hobbs) Notman

Jean (Hobbs) Notman passed away in Lynnwood, WA on Monday, August 28, 2017 after numerous fierce and prolonged health battles.  She was a fighter to the end.

“Jeannie” was born on November 8, 1937 to A. Earl and Velda M. (Withers) Hobbs in Portland, OR where her father worked in logging.  She was a studious child and skipped the 5th grade.  She kept fond memories of her childhood in Portland throughout her life.  Most of the Hobbs clan lived there (her grandmother and 11 aunts and uncles) and many Sundays were spent at Grandma’s house or summer reunions at Uncle Dale’s out in the woods.  Her brothers and cousins whom she grew up with were very dear to her.

Music was important in her family, and became important to her.  Her father played piano after dinner most nights; he also played banjo, accordion, and harmonica.  She began taking piano lessons at 7 along with her older brother Kennard, and rode to lessons on the handlebars of his bicycle.

When she was 13 the family moved to Grandview, WA, closer to the Withers clan.  Her father exited the logging trade to raise whiteface cattle, also grapes, asparagus, raspberries, and run a small trucking business.  She especially disliked cutting asparagus and picking raspberries on the farm.  Jean graduated from Grandview High School in 1954 at age 16.  She was especially fond of two high school teachers, Mrs. Juliette Brown and Mrs. Leota Davis whom were influential in her college choices.

She continued studies at Central Washington College in Ellensburg, majoring in English. She resumed piano lessons there and became an accomplished classical pianist which she maintained as a serious hobby through her life.  There she also met Theodore “Ted” Notman, and married him in 1957.  She graduated with a BA in Education in 1958.

Jean and Ted then moved to the Seattle area where they started their family.  Jean taught 2nd grade in West Seattle for one year before beginning a long career as a homemaker.  In 1959 they bought a house in Des Moines, WA where they lived 42 years together and raised 5 sons, frequently visiting brothers’ and sisters’ families, and their parents in the Valley.

Jean was a doting mother and domestically crafty.  She was known for her making the boys’ Halloween costumes, homemade Christmas cards and displays, baking wonderful pies and cookies, and her writing.  She gave piano lessons to her 5 sons and other neighborhood kids.  Her love of family and music endured and were passed along.  Her son Victor inherited her father’s gift of playing piano by ear, and the other boys went on to play other instruments.  She was a balancing influence to her husband, and they were a great team in parenting their children. 

Caring for the special needs of her youngest child Victor became a special focus; she was an organized and fervent advocate for his education and healthcare.  And she adored her grandchildren, especially her granddaughters.

The last 10 years she lived with her twin sons Vince and Victor, who were especially devoted full-time caregivers the last 4 years as her health declined.  She maintained her famously perfect penmanship even after a stroke.  She had a cantankerous spirit which universally endeared her to healthcare staff, and often frustrated her sons.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband of 44 years Theodore A. Notman, and brother Kennard E. Hobbs.  She is survived by her brother Jim Hobbs of Renton, WA; 5 sons: Randy Notman of Redmond, WA, Jim (Julie) Notman of Cowiche, WA, Brad (Kyty) Notman of Steele, ND, Vince Notman of Mukilteo, WA, and Victor Notman of Mukilteo, WA; 8 grandchildren: Ashley, Diana, Jacob, Jesse, Joseph, Melissa, Naomi, and Patrick; and 8 great-grandchildren: Amiya, Brynlie, Caleb, Jacob Jr., Jordin, Kohle, Ryley, and Taelyn.

A Graveside service will be held at 11:00 AM, Saturday, September 2, 2017 at Grandview Cemetery in Grandview, WA.  A memorial service will be held at a later date near Seattle, WA. Those wishing to sign Jean’s online memorial book may do so at www.funeralhomesmith.com. Smith Funeral Homes in care of arrangements.

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