Obituary of Thomas Clarke Mobbs

Tom Mobbs, age 65, passed away peacefully at home December 22, 2010 after an 11 month battle with cancer. He is survived by wife Maggie, daughters Betsy and Karen, his mother Frances, sisters Dorene (Ed), Rose and Betty, brothers Jim (Maxine) and Jerry, aunts Fern and Sue (Robert), as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. Born in Tacoma, Washington to Daniel and Frances Mobbs, Tom's childhood was spent in both Washington and Missouri. He attended Lincoln High School in Seattle, but graduated from Mexico High School in Mexico, MO in 1963. He volunteered for the Draft and served with the US Army in Vietnam in 1968-69 before being honorably discharged. Some of his many lifetime achievements include a Bachelor of Science Degree in Forest Resources from University of Washington, a Masters Degree in Business Administration from City University (which he was particularly proud of), and several drag racing awards. During these years he worked for Burlington Northern, Weyerhauser, the Washington State Department of Licensing and finally settled into Boeing in 1986 until retiring in 2008. He met and married his beloved wife Maggie in 1973, daughters Betsy and Karen arrived in 1982 and 1984. Tom's love of classic muscle cars grew into a lifetime hobby in the sport of drag racing. He spent all possible "dry" spring/summer weekends racing at Pacific Raceways (formerly S.I.R) or Bremerton Raceway. There may even be a police officer (or two) in Mexico, MO still keeping an eye out for Tom's red 1962 Impala SS. Tom also made lots of friends in the drag racing community, his smiling face, inquisitive nature, and enthusiasm for the sport will be fondly remembered. Tom was very hard working and fun loving. Never one to let things go to waste; he always recycled, reused, and was a treasure hunter of abandoned (but useful) objects. He enjoyed camping and road trips with family or friends very much, and was most happy when sharing "experiences" of all kinds with his girls. Halloween was a favorite holiday of his (we have the pictures to prove it) and he spent many Octobers creating characters that would scare, surprise, or amuse others. Along with the classic cars, he loved classic rock and dancing with Maggie. He was a good friend, thoughtful husband, and a proud father. He will be greatly missed. A celebration of Tom's life will be held on Sunday, January 9th, 2011 from 2:00-6:00pm at Dumas Bay Centre, 3200 SW Dash Point Road, Federal Way, WA 98023.