Jack E. Kober, 96, of Liberty Center, passed away on Sunday evening, Feb. 19, 2023, at River Terrace Estates in Bluffton.
He was born on Aug. 6, 1926, in Bluffton to Walter and Jennie (Lieurance) Kober. A 1944 graduate of Liberty Center High School, Jack was a lifelong farmer. Jack also served on the Liberty Center Fire Department. He was a member of the Masons, the Scottish Rite and Boehmer United Methodist Church. Jack enjoyed being outside, especially fishing and hunting.
On Oct. 20, 1948, in Rock Creek Township, Jack and Jean M. Girod were married. They were longtime residents of Liberty Township until moving to River Terrace Retirement Community in 2014.
Jean and Jack thoroughly enjoyed family vacations in Minnesota for 30 years. Celebrating their 80th birthdays at Crow Crest Lodge in Nevis, Minn., was a highlight for the extended Kober family.
Survivors include his children, Jill (Jerome) Markley of Bluffton, Joe (Kelly) Kober of Liberty Center, and Judy (Bill) Hogg of Bluffton. He was a proud grandpa to eight grandchildren, Ben (Lesley) Markley of Indianapolis, Paul (Shea) Markley of Omaha, Neb., Drew Markley of Fort Wayne, Adam Kober (Jonathan Shinn) of Newport Beach, Calif., Krista (Ian) Moore of Houston, Texas, Patrick (Sara) Kober of Liberty Center, John (Christin) Hogg of Boise, Idaho, and Peter (Laura Benjamin) Hogg of Indianapolis, along with 14 great-grandchildren.
Jack is preceded in death by his parents and his loving wife, Jean.
Funeral services will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, at the Thoma/Rich, Lemler Funeral Home in Bluffton with Pastors Barry Humble and Steve Nevius officiating. Burial will follow at Mossburg Cemetery near Liberty Center.
Visitation hours will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday prior to the funeral service.
In place of flowers and gifts, the family prefers memorials may be made in Jack’s memory to the Eleos Hospice of Fort Wayne or the Mossburg Cemetery Association.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Lemler family of Thoma/Rich, Lemler Funeral Home in Bluffton. Friends can send online condolences to the Kober family at www.thomarich.com.