Bobby Hosa

Bobby's life revolved around family, a love of country, a sense of duty and leadership. This has been apparent from the time he was a teenage Eagle Scout proudly wearing his sash overflowing with merit badges to his career as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force during combat and peace time missions; from the time he was a Teen Youth Group leader in the neighborhood church, to his volunteering in communities where ever he lived as an adult.



Bobby took pride in maintaining a robust strength and vitality which fed his can-do bravado to take on all manner of projects. He channeled creative talents into making art for any occasion, like birthday banners, wall murals for clients and community benefits, illustrated travel journals and many fine art paintings. He brightened holidays and playtime with hand carved and painted toys and decorations for his family, becoming heirlooms that are still in use. Bobby had the gift of gab and loved regaling friends and family (even total strangers). He was a man of many hats and stories who swam with sharks in Guam, stingrays in Hawaii, backpacked Europe, shot jet engine missles from the wings of a B-52, visited countless countries and incredible sites, spoke several languages, but he also made time to slow down for the small specialness of family breakfast and conversation on the back patio.



Bobby was born in Youngstown, Ohio in 1947 to Flo and Leo Hosa. He attended Woodrow Wilson High School where he played football, was president of the Student Council, and crowned King of the Prom. After receiving a BA in Anthropology from Youngstown State University, he enrolled in the Masters program at the University of Utah. His studies were interrupted when he enlisted in Officers Training with the Air Force, serving as a navigator/bombardier in Vietnam and the Stategic Air Command throughout the cold war, followed by serving as Commander of the Airlift Wing as a reservist at his home base in Tacoma, and a final stint in Europe as a Logistician with NATO. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and retired after twenty eight years. During his time as a reservist his civilian career was in telecommunications with AT&T working with Boeing and Weyerhaeuser.



Bobby met his first wife Cheryl Doerge while stationed at Fairchild AFB and they eventually settled and started their family in the Old Town neighborhood of Tacoma. From this vantage point of winking lighthouses and sailboats passing across the family's front windows, he displayed carpentry skills with an artistic flair. He fixed up multiple houses and turned them into beatiful homes. Often he would make it a whole family collaboration, spanning generations up and down. Bobby's travel for work in telecommunications with AT&T, his continued service in the military, and family scattered around the country, kept his wanderlust alive and well. He often packed the family up to head over the mountains for a weekend, or all the way down the coast to the Mexican border, always making incredible memories (and capturing them, as a skilled photographer) at every stop. He was a hugely active participant in the rearing of both of his children. Constant bicycling, swimming, hikes, and camping instilled the desire for great and truly special things for his family. He later moved to the Virginia/Washington DC metro area for work and separated with Cheryl before finding his way down to the Great Southwest.



Settling in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Bobby married Louise Tracey in 2007. They shared many adventures traveling in Europe and the United Kingdom. He journalled their adventures in water color sketches and narratives. During this time, he owned Blue Gate Design, a painting and restoration company.



Toward the end of his life, Bobby suffered with dementia.



Bobby is survived by his wife, Louise Tracey-Hosa; son Erik Hosa and wife Megan Beals; daughter Danika Hosa and husband Jon Tyree; step-daughter Leah Frink; and grandchildren Eleanore and Henry, Jake and Meg; his mother Flo Dougherty; and sister Amy Hosa and partner Chris Jannini. Pre-deceased by former wife Cheryl Hosa; and father Leo Hosa.



The Memorial Service is at the Getz Funeral Home in Las Cruces, NM on Wednesday, September 13th at 10am. Internment will take place at Fort Bliss National Cemetery in El Paso, TX, at 3pm. In lieu of flowers, kindly donate to your favorite organization.

Service Details.
Service When
Wednesday, September 13, 2023 10:00am
Location
Getz Funeral Home Chapel
Address
1410 E. Bowman Ave.
Las Cruces, NM 88001


Interment Wednesday, September 13, 2023 | 3:00pm When
Wednesday, September 13, 2023 3:00pm
Location
Fort Bliss National Cemetery
Address
5200 Fred Wilson Road
El Paso, Texas