Joseph William Stobbe1921-2016Salt Lake City, UT-Our dear father, Joseph William Stobbe, MD, of Salt Lake City, Utah, passed away from causes incident to age on Tuesday, November 1, 2016 at the age of ninety-five. He was surrounded in love by his large family and will be greatly missed.Dad was born on October 31, 1921 in Castle Dale, Utah, to Ludwig Henry Otto and Rosa Martha Augusta Naschcke Stobbe, the second child in a family of seven children. He married Elna Marie Parkinson Haymond in 1945. With the exception of the years he spent on his mission - serving in World War II and doing his medical residency - he made Salt Lake City his beloved home. He graduated from East High School and from the University of Utah, graduating from the University of Utah Medical School in 1949. He found great joy and lifelong purpose through his medical practice of Obstetrics and Gynecology, serving on the staff at LDS Hospital. He frequently and fondly remembered his colleagues and patients.After Dad was released from his missionary service in the New England States Mission in 1943, and feeling it his patriotic duty, he registered for service in the Army. In his fight against oppression and for his country, he landed with the 90th Division in Normandy on Utah Beach on D Day + 10, June 16, 1944 and fought the enemy as a combat infantryman and sniper through the foxholes, hedgerows and concrete bunkers of France. As a Staff Sergeant he was wounded three times and was awarded the Purple Heart Medal with Two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star with Valor, and his prized medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge. In the ensuing years he was also presented from a grateful French people their nation's highest honor, the Legion of Honour Medal in 2015; the American Freedom Festival Award of 2005 in Provo, Utah; and in 2012 he was made an Honoree of the Veterans Day Commemoration at the University of Utah. Other honors came from the citizens of Metzervisse, France, who commemorated the liberation of their town by Dad's army division by naming a city park in his name; the official request for him to lay a wreath at Utah Beach on June 6, 2006; and in 2004 he was part of the 90th Division honorees at celebrations and erections of monuments in thirty towns and cities liberated by the U.S. along the eastern border of France. We are proud of his service.Dad and Mom had a romance that blossomed through their young adult years, his mission, and throughout his military service. His love letters home to her from war torn France were chivalrous, tender, and hopeful. They were sealed on June 4, 1945 in the Salt Lake Temple, taking a honeymoon to California by train where he was given an Honorable Discharge from the military. Mom and Dad celebrated fifty-nine years of marriage before Mother passed away in 2004. From their union came six children, thirty-three grandchildren, and eighty-eight great-grandchildren. Thus far. Dad's hobbies and interests were wide and varied. He was an astute learner and had a memory and vocabulary that amazed us. Try as we might, it was hard to beat him at a game of Upwords or Scrabble. He frequently took us waterskiing at beautiful Lake Powell, on trips along the Oregon coast, and to our cabin. He loved the game of golf (proudly boasting two holes-in-one) and the serenity and joy of fishing, sneaking away every chance he got. But his real itch was traveling throughout the world. He visited places as diverse as Europe, the Middle East, China, New Zealand, Russia, and Alaska, as well as floating the Amazon River. He loved beautiful scenery, history, foods, and the peoples and cultures of the world. Each of his children cherish the piano bench covers that he beautifully needlepointed, and several family members were the lucky recipients of his handmade furniture. The goofy stories of his imaginary giant, Humpskunk, became more outlandish and fun through the years, entertaining children and grandchildren everywhere. And we always watched in amazement at his magic tricks and guffawed at his witty humor. How did the gum cross the road?... Because of his deep and abiding testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Dad actively served in church callings throughout his life. He especially enjoyed being a tour guide on Temple Square where he served weekly for many years, he diligently worked twenty-five years doing indexing and genealogy for the Family History Department, he served in the Bonneville Stake High Council, and was Bonneville Stake Young Men's President. He also served as a Stake Missionary and as a faithful and caring Home Teacher. He supported the general Church missionary effort and provided financial support for many missionaries over the years. He was an almost lifelong member of the Yalecrest First Ward and loved the many dear friends he had there. He was a noble, prayerful and good man, teaching us by example. He was most generous and giving, coming to the aid of many and touching lives for good. We are truly blessed to have had his life legacy as a pattern for ours. Dad is survived by his children and their families: Joseph and Cleo Stobbe, Judy and David Tew, Catherine and Dave Hardy, MaryAnn and Gordon Williams, John and Tammy Stobbe, and Lisa and Dave Harris; his sisters Marilyn Clayton and Shirley Goodrich; his in-laws Creed and Margie Haymond; Bonnie Haymond; and many adoring nieces, nephews, and extended family. He is preceded in death by his wife Marie; his parents and grandparents; his father and mother-in-law, Creed and Elna Haymond; his brothers Kenneth and LeRoy; sister Evelyn and husband Gordon Low; sister Mary Lou and husband Earl Benson; and his brothers-in-law Bob Clayton, Reece Goodrich, and George Haymond.Funeral services will be Monday, November 7, at 11:00 a.m. at Yalecrest Ward, 1035 South 1800 East, Salt Lake City. Viewings will be held at Yalecrest Ward on Sunday night, November 6, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., and from 9:00 - 10:45 a.m. prior to the funeral. Internment will be at Larkin Sunset Lawn, 2350 East 1300 South, Salt Lake City, Utah, alongside his beloved Marie.