Thursday, April 25, 2024
Elbert Morris Hubbard, Jr., passed peacefully away at his home on Willow Point in Manson, on Dec. 5, 2019, after a long Alzheimer's journey.
He was born April 10, 1935, at the home of his grandparents, the first child of Elbert and Aliene McKnight Hubbard, and was ushered into the world by his grandfather, Dr. I. G. Hubbard. He was later joined by siblings Sandra, Gary, Duane and Jon. They had an adventurous childhood on the shores of Lake Chelan, swimming, building the first water skis out of tennis shoes bolted to snow skis, making a diving bell from a water heater tank and camping at uninhabited Willow Point.
Elbert graduated from Manson High School in 1953 then attended Washington State College, earning his bachelors in education. He began his teaching career in Wenatchee at Lincoln and Sunnyslope Elementary.
On August 22, 1959, he and Hannah Cobb were married at St. Andrews Church, Chelan. They made their first home in Lake City, and he began his 29 year career in the Northshore School District in Bothell, first teaching at Arrowhead Elementary. All the while he worked on his Master of Education Degree, taking classes during the school year and attending summer school with Hannah.
In 1963, at the age of 28, he was appointed principal of the newly built Moorlands Elementary in Kenmore where he served for 25 years.
At the year's end, he and Hannah welcomed their first child, Camille Lynne. She was the apple of his eye. During that busy and eventful period, he completed his thesis and received his Master's Degree in Education the next spring.
Todd Elbert came noisily into the family in 1965, knocking Camille off her only-child pedestal. Four years later Kevin Michael "electrified" the family with his arrival.
Elbert made sure the family had plenty of fun activities, creating for them a model train landscape and Hannah planned weekend field trips, and in later years he always had "15-minute family projects" for all to participate in. Some of the best times were vacations and summers at the cabin on Willow Point. The kids learned to swim, drive a boat (there were many), sail, sailboard, canoe, etc. Special, too, was going to the family property up lake at Lightning Creek with all the cousins, catching fish, playing outside and getting bathed in the ice cold Lake Chelan waters!
Boating and flying were Elbert's lifelong passions, so in the 1970s he took flying lessons at Kenmore Air Harbor. Many pleasant hours were spent taking family and friends for a flight around Puget Sound, out to Friday Harbor for lunch, and sightseeing around the Olympic Peninsula.
When, after 31 years in education, Elbert was ready to retire, he and Hannah packed up their Bothell home and moved to their much loved summer place on Willow Point. They became orchardists, bought a 7-acre apple orchard in Manson, proceeded to remove the big old red delicious trees and plant the new Gala apple.
Finally, truly retired when they sold the orchard, Elbert and Hannah had more time to travel and spend time with their family. They took 6 wonderful hikes in the Cascades, flew twice to New England in the fall to pursue family genealogy and were able to visit the historic 1740 home of one of Elbert's ancestors, Nehemiah Hubbard, in Middletown, Connecticut. Italy was a destination in 2000, Ireland and Scotland in 2006, and Alaska for his 80th birthday cruise.
Watching his grandchildren grow up and having them visit the lake on vacations and in the summer were very special. Fun, too, were seeing them play soccer and baseball, attending dance and piano recitals, orchestra concerts and high school graduations. He was so proud of his kids and their families!
Then began the long Alzheimer's journey. Elbert, the story teller, became Elbert the listener who asked in amazement, "How do you know so much about the Hubbards?" The always busy organizer learned to let Hannah do things he'd always insisted she do with him - like winterize the outside water and turn it on in the spring. He learned to be the passenger and let her do the driving. Even though his decline was physically challenging, he still walked briskly to the mailbox as long as possible. The organizing perfectionist allowed someone else to organize him, and gratefully thank them. The high energy person became very mellow, but his sense of humor remained.
The greatest gift for Elbert and his family was to spend his last days well cared for at home. We can't thank enough the loving, capable and gentle care he received from Ana, Yesenia, Javier and Lettie. Ana was with him at the last, holding his hand and making a peaceful transition on to his next journey.
Elbert leaves behind his loving wife of 60 years, Hannah, his 3 fabulous children, Camille (and Scott) Mullikin, Todd Hubbard, Kevin (and Jacquie) Hubbard, six beautiful grandchildren, Dennis and Josh Chriest, Justin, Brett, Adrienne and Danielle Hubbard. He is also survived by brothers Duane and Jon and step-sister Linda McKenzie; nephews and nieces: Jerry and Jim, Lori, Brad and Tara, Cindy, Rod, Kim, Michelle, Wendy and Jennifer. He was preceded in death by his parents, Elbert Hubbard, Sr., and Aliene Haynes, step-mother Frances Hubbard, sister Sandra McClellan, brother Gary Hubbard, nephew Jeff McClellan and his beloved grandparents, Dr. I. G. and Edna Hubbard.
A memorial is planned for this coming spring at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Chelan. Memorials may be made to St. Andrews Episcopal Church or to the Lake Chelan Habitat for Humanity or the Food Bank.
Please leave any thoughts and memories for the family at www.prechtrose.com. Precht Rose Chapel, Chelan is in care of the arrangements.
