In Memorium: hobart K. Kistler

Lieutenant Hobart K. Kistler

Eagle Scout

Lieutenant Hobart K. Kistler SC, USN, of Norfolk, VA, formerly of Centre Hall, PA, passed away on the evening of April 30, 2021 following an automobile accident.

Hobie graduated from Penns Valley Area High School in 2009 as Class President and Valedictorian. As a youth, he was active with Scouts BSA and was a member of Troop 20 in Centre Hall. He later joined Troop 380 and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout after serving as Senior Patrol Leader to Troop 380 in Boalsburg.

Hobie was a 2013 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, where he received a BS in Economics, completing his degree in the top 50 of his class, and was a four-year member of the Varsity Offshore Sailing Team. Afterward, he completed his MS in Finance at Johns Hopkins University.

Hobie first served in Western Pacific deployments and a U.S. Southern Command surge deployment as Supply Department Head “CHOP” aboard the USS LOUISVILLE (SSN 724) at Pearl Harbor, HI.

In 2017, Hobie moved to Washington, DC, where he served three years as Deputy Director for Finance and Budget in the Office of Naval Reactors. Concurrent with that assignment, he was selected as a White House Military Social Aide. He had recently moved with his wife to Norfolk, VA to accept a position as Retail Services Officer aboard the pre-commissioned unit JOHN F. KENNEDY (CVN 79), which he held until his passing.

Hobie was a man of great and generous spirit who is remembered fondly by people all over the world. He traveled extensively to Costa Rica, Chile, and across the United States, making friends and uniting distant relatives with his charisma, knowledge, and sense of humor. His love of the outdoors led him to enjoy hunting, sailing, hiking, and skiing. An avid historian, Hobie led guided tours at historic battlegrounds such as Gettysburg from a young age. He personally interviewed over 200 veterans of World War II, compiling their stories over many years into a book, The War They Won, which is pending publication. Although a bright future undoubtedly lay ahead of him, Hobie is dearly remembered for the many things he accomplished and the lives he touched in the time that he had.