SCARBOROUGH â Bryan James Hobart, 30, of Holmes Road, died Friday, September 11, 2015, at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
He was born in Lynn Massachusetts on August 12, 1985, a son of Karen M. (Ventullo) Wilber and Matthew J. Hobart. He graduated from Nokomis Regional High, class of 2004, and enlisted in the United States Navy on September 9, 2004.
After Boot Camp in Great Lakes, IL, Bryan reported to Pensacola FL for training. In 2005, Bryan reported to Sea Control Squadron Thirty One where he served as an Aviation Machinists Mate until 2008. He transferred to Special Projects Patrol Squadron One and worked as a Quality Assurance Representative for several years. Throughout his career Bryan deployed multiple times in support of the Global War on Terrorism and received numerous awards including the Navy Achievement Medal. He was named Airwing Sailor of the Day in 2007 and Sailor of the Quarter in 2009. Bryan reported to Navy Recruiting District New England in 2012 where he was assigned to Brunswick, ME as a Navy recruiter.
Bryan married his high school sweetheart, Erin M. Gray on November 8, 2008, in Plymouth. Together they grew into exceptional adults, creating a beautiful life. This life was made complete by their two dogs Ratchet and Rampage. Their philosophy was to enjoy every minute of life, and they did so by having endless adventures. Bryan captured Erinâs heart by his sense of humor and love for life and maintained it by being an extraordinary chef. Bryan had the unique ability to make every single person feel as though they were special. This was likely because to Bryan, everyone was special. Bryan balanced his sweetness with his tenacity. He always stood up for the underdog, always cared for the weak, and was truly a remarkable man. Even throughout his troubles, Bryan maintained a positive attitude. He carried his charisma through every treatment and made an impact on every single person he met. Along with cooking Bryan enjoyed playing basketball, swimming, four wheeling, golfing and fishing.
In August 2013, just after his 28th birthday, he was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic lymphoma. He went through many rounds of chemo, a bone marrow transplant, radiation, and more chemo. He never gave up. He died on September 11, 2015.
Bryan’s wife, Erin M. (Gray) Hobart, chose a memorial stone from the Mere Point boat launch where Bryan liked to go fishing. We also used to bring our dogs there, so I have a lot of fond memories of that place. Bryan always loved the water. He was a really great swimmer too.
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Bryan, I miss you brother.
Erin keep your chin up, you were lucky enough to get to know one of the most charismatic and well-rounded individuals I have ever come across.
-Dell
My name is Ashley Mackenzie and I carried the stone and the story of 1st Class Petty Officer Bryan Hobart, United States Navy. Iâm extremely proud of being able to carry Bryanâs stone with our team hike up Cadillac Mountain because I had the honor and privilege of knowing Bryan when he was younger. I also enjoyed learning about his busy life after high school. His marriage to his wife Erin, his family, his dogs, his success in the navy (receiving awards such as âSailor of the Quarterâ) his deployments, & becoming a recruiter, were all things that molded him into the genuine and happy man that he had become.
It was years ago, but I do remember the gracious smile and bubbly personality of Bryan while attending high school with him at Nokomis Regional . He was an outgoing guy, with lots of friends, a full athletic schedule, and a bright smile that matched his handsome style and shining personality. I remember Bryan always smiling, literally, always smiling. And those that knew him better than I would say that the smile on his face reflected the kindness and positive spirit in his soul.
When I decided to carry a stone for the TSP at ANP event, I instantly knew that i wanted to carry Bryanâs stone. It has only been a little over a year since Bryan passed, September 11,2015. His family and friends were and are still grieving and morning his loss and I wanted to help them if I could. I wanted to share the experience and the love and the support that The Summit Project provides to the families and friends of these fallen heroes. I was able to speak with some of Bryanâs family members and friends prior to the hike, to find out as much as I could about not only him as a person, but his life story as well. The part of him I didnât know. What I discovered is something that will remain in my heart and soul for the rest of my life.
Bryan was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma in August of 2013, just after turning 28 years old. From that moment on, until the day of his death on September 11, 2015, Bryan was the center and source of positivity in not only his life, but those that were closest to him as well. While speaking with his wife, sister and other family members, I was told over and over again how positive and strong Bryan always was, even on his toughest days, and when those around him struggled to do the same. He continued to work hard, to give love, and live for the moment. As I carried Bryanâs stone up Cadillac, and the weeks prior to and after the hike, I couldnât/canât help but be reminded of Bryanâs soul and outlook on life. When things seem so bad, itâs so easy to feel down, to think of the negative and focus on that. It takes a special person to be able to look for the good in each day and to share that light with others. I thought of that as I hiked with the team, how maybe I could make a positive impact on them or inspire them in one way or another. I think of it now with people in my life, whom I may have a positive impact on or just make their day better with an act of love, kindness or positivity.
âBryan had the unique ability to make everyone feel as though they were specialâ. The thought of that has stuck with me, and it inspires me. Bryan still continues today to do that work, as I feel so lucky and special having carried his stone and story.
Dear Family and friends of AD1 Bryan Hobart,
My name is Jackie Carter, of Millinocket, ME, and I had the distinct honor to spend quite a few days with Bryan recently.
I, along with my childhood best friend, signed up to ruck the “Five for Fitch” – a 5k run, walk, or ruck in memory and honor of MAJ Justin Fitch who lost his battle against colon cancer on October 3, 2015. He was a good friend of the founder of the Maine Veterans Project, Shawn Goodwin. I had contemplated carrying a TSP stone, and during the march in Bangor, I asked Angel Matson if there was one I could take along the day after the Cadillac Mountain event – she immediately and without hesitation said “Bryan Hobart, done”. In that moment, I was unaware of the reasoning, but quickly learned why.
Bryan’s career in the Navy was stellar. He was an upstanding shipmate, an inspirational motivated man, and in reading about his life I could see where that million watt smile came from – he was just a plain positive person. I had a few quick minutes to speak with his mom and sister at TSP Saturday after the picnic, and could see that smile in his mom and sister VictoriaâŚand listening to Karen talk about the last 4th of July he spent in Boston – celebrating the holiday despite his illness – was just amazing to me to listen to. His positivity despite adversity and never giving up inspire me every day to continue to find the good in every single moment.
We started the event Sunday after a quick 22 pushups for awareness – in true greenside fashion – good old 4 count pushups. I gathered the stone in my arms, and decided instead of placing him in my pack, that I would carry him in my arm for the entire 3 miles. I wanted to be asked, I wanted to tell his story and explain and carry out the mission. His stone sparkles like none other I have seen – its his million watt smile continuing to shine. As we gathered to head out, I shared his name, rank, and story with three ladies, and as we moved along the course, with another former military medical personnel. Continuing to share his story made light, quick work of the ruck, and before I knew it we were done.
My best friend, her nephew and his girlfriend, and I all gathered at the Seadog for celebratory appetizers and Bloody Mary’s – which I would not find out until after some pictures were posted on Facebook that Bryan enjoyed and apparently made some wicked good Bloody’s! The picture of him Victoria shared just gave me chills – those little coincidences that you never expectâŚand yes, that was the first time a Bloody ever tasted good to me! We rode back to my little town of Millinocket, and when I arrived home, my three girls were waiting – they had to see, touch, talk and ask about his life. He sat in a nice quiet place of honor while I cooked dinner. He spent Monday at work with me – and as my day progressed, the staff and even a few patients I cared for that day got to hear all about his story and his courageous fight against T cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. My girls and I enjoyed a final meal together making Taco Tuesday quite the event, and the girls had to get a picture with the stone before I returned it to the honor case on Wednesday October 5th – which happened to be my 40th Birthday. I truly cannot think of any better way to have spent my weekend and day.
I thank all of Bryan’s family for opening your hearts and memories to all of us who wish to continue to honor your fallen hero, as I cannot fathom the grief and hurt you all still feel. I want you all to know that he will always be honored in this house as not just a brave shipmate, but a shining star who tackled cancer with a smile that lit up the world.
With the utmost respect and sincere regards,
Jackie Carter
Millinocket, ME
Dear Erin and family,
My name is Shawn Boutaugh,
I don’t believe that we pick the hero, the stone or the story. I believe the hero picks us, to carry their stone, their story and this is why. I had the honor of carrying Brian stone in Baxter State Park over Memorial weekend. It was a chilly and foggy morning. I woke very early around 3:30 AM, even though we were not departing for our mountain until 6 AM. I guess that I was nervousâ˘excitedâ˘scared maybe overwhelmed with anxiety of the daily events that were ahead of me. When we reached the base of the mountain the fog cleared and the sun came out, shining down on us and all I could think was that Bryan was smiling down on us with the big smile, that I have seen in every picture of him. Just then my pack got a little lighter, the trail didn’t seem as steep and at that point I think I was smiling A little bit more than normal not like his smile though, after viewing I don’t know hundreds of pictures of him he was always happy, he was always smiling. When we reach the top there was 11 of us, each to share the story of the hero that we were dedicating the weekend too. I heard some great stories about some amazing men and women. When it was my turn to speak about Bryan I had a hard time to speak, my emotions ran very high as I finally realized at that moment that my Navy career was a mirror image of his. After a few moments I was able to speak. I felt the weight come off my shoulders like he was there helping me through this. I’ve learned a lot about Bryan and it makes me want to be a better person. When we arrive back at base camp which was at New England outdoor center, we presented the stones back to a gold star family member or A gold star host family. I didn’t want to give it back, I wanted to keep it a little longer just so I could talk about him and his life just a little longer. There was a gold star dad that came up to me and talked with me for a long time. It was very helpful seeing how the emotions started to kick back in high gear. I may have carried his stone for a weekend but I will carry the story of his life in my heart for the rest of mine. There’s probably nothing I can say or do to take the pain of losing a loved one away. But I thank you so very very very much with sharing him with me. I will be forever grateful.
Sincerely,
Shawn Boutaugh
Dear Family of AD1 Bryan J Hobart
It was truly an honor for me to once again carry the stone and story of Bryan this past October at TSP@ANP. I arrived at Smugglers Den to pick up my assigned stone, to find that Bryanâs stone (one of my most favorite stones â itâs just magnificent) was still on the table, his hiker apparently unable to make it. I immediately asked Angel to take it along â and with a smile â it was âof course!â No one is ever left behind.
The hike was tough for me this year â personally Iâve had a lot of changes, some struggles and victories â and as I came to the plateau on the North Ridge trail just before the summit â the fog was thick, cool, and damp â I took just a few minutes not to catch my breath but to reflect on my own journey with a smile and sigh. I could picture that enormous smile Bryan had, his zest for life and how his journey unfolded, just as mine has this year.
Standing in the circle ceremony â the sun came out â and that sparkle on his stone was totally eye catching to all. Standing talking about his Navy career â his love for his wife and dogs, and his battle with T Cell Lymphoma and his unselfish life it seemed to warm up, that bright sun beaming down as if he was there, approving of all activities of the day.
I would like to thank you all again for sharing him â his life, his story â and allowing his presence to continually be passed on. I love the fact that he chose me again â almost exactly a year later from our first introductions! He will never be forgotten.
Sincerely and with gratitude,
Jackie Carter
Blue Hill, ME
Dear Hobart Family,
Thank you for helping me learn about Bryan. It was an honor to carry Bryan’s stone on the hike on Black Cap Mountain. Just like Bryan, I also like basketball, swimming, four wheeling and fishing. I think it was cool that he won numerous awards and the NAVY achievement medal.
I thought it was very sad when I heard that Bryan had cancer. At the top of the mountain, we shared information about Bryan and there were a lot of people to hear about him. Thank you for helping our country.
From Derek, a Cub Scout Age 9
Dear Erin,
Iâm writing on behalf of my son Scott. Scott Carried Bryans stone this past weekend Cadillac Mountain and Acadia we took the hardest trail and at eight years old he did great Iâm extremely proud on how he climbed with the weight in his pack that heâs not used to, never complaining but smiling all the way up. We talked about Bryan before the hike but I did have to step in and help him. Telling everyone all about Bryan. For his happy smiling face to his love for your and the dogs. I know I didnât touch base with you before the hike I did exchange a few emails back-and-forth with his brother Ian I am member the lot from our conversation from when I carried Bryans Stone in the conversation I had with Victoria. When we got back to the campground Scotty stood in the middle of the field with microphone in hand good never skipped a beat as he introduced himself and talked about Bryan. Iâm extremely proud of what he has accomplished especially at eight years old I want to thank you for Sharing Bryans story with us so we can pass his memory on to others so heâll never be forgotten Scotty will never forget this moment for his long as he lives and he and I will continue to let everybody we know know about bryan.
Sincerely,
Scott Boutaugh
And
Shawn Boutaugh
To the family and friends of Petty Officer First Class Bryan James Hobart
It was truly an honor to carry this stone in honor of Bryan. Towards the end of my marathon when my legs were heavy, my back was sore, and feet felt worse than they had ever felt, I remembered your son. I remembered his fighting spirit, and never to give up. Keep putting one foot in front of the other, and never faltering. Learning about his service was inspiring. Along with being an incredible person who loved everyone with all his heart, and devoted himself to being the best. Being the best sailor, being the best son, and being the best husband. Stories like this truly inspire and push me to try and be truly as impactful and inspiring as Bryan was.
When David told me that these stones picked you I was a little hesitant, almost in disbelief. As I was reading through Bryanâs story though it was spooky. Knowing that this was not only someone I probably wouldâve been friends with, but where you got the stone from is what did it for me. Besides my love of being on the water, fishing and boating are just some of my favorite things to do. So to carry a tribute to him, from such a wonderful place, for such a wonderful was an amazing experience, and humbling. People like Bryan, his dedication and service to his country are inspiring, something that everyone can learn from.
Wyatt Grant KnopfkeÂ
Boston College Class of 2019Â
Boston College Football 15′-19′
Sworn in U.S. Army March 20th 2019
Tough Ruck April 14th 2019 – Boston Athletic Association, and National Park ServiceÂ
To all who knew and loved Bryan Hobart,
Last week I had the privilege to carry Petty Officer Hobart’s stone in my pack for the Husky Ruck Memorial 10K. I mainly picked his stone because I was also a sailor during my enlistment. While we may have had totally different military experiences (I was a submariner), I used his memory to help push myself through this tough race. I also feel a special connection with him after reading his biography, primarily what everyone describes as his infectious positive attitude. While I may have not had many of the same interests as Bryan, I see that we both took what we found passionate in life and made every second count. His story is going to help me continue to push myself to be a better man, husband, and friend no matter the circumstances. I feel that this is the best way to honor his memory and I hope to make all of Bryan’s loved ones proud.
Fair Winds and Following Seas,
ETR3(SS) Trevor Engling
USM Husky Vets
To the family and friends of Navy Petty Officer First Class Bryan James Hobart,
This was my first time participating in The Summit Project. Iâm 12 years old, I love hiking, and this year I got to hike on Team Tarn up Cadillac Mountain with my mom. Thank you, Erin, for sharing some stories about Bryan before our hike. We had lots in common and he was an amazing first stone to carry. I also like fishing and swimming like he did. OhâŚand dogs! I carried Bryanâs stone, but my mom was going to speak for me to share his story because I was scared. I wasnât going to talk, but when we were up there, I felt like I needed to share his story. It needed to be me. My mom had shared a photo of us holding our stones after the circle ceremony and a friend of Bryanâs reached out to us to share another story about what a great person he was. Thatâs when I realized how important this is to so many people and how much it means to everyone. That day, we reminded someone of an old friend and helped keep his memory alive. Thatâs why we do what we do. I loved it so much and I will definitely be doing it next year. I was proud to carry his stone and tell his story.
Sincerely,
Delaney
To the family of Bryan, I had the honor of carrying the stone and story of Bryan twice. The first time was on Memorial Weekend when i printed out a picture of his stone(because of Covid-19 we couldn’t have access to to his stone) and we hiked up Champney Falls in NH and every waterfall we stopped at we shared stories with all who asked. I took lots of pictures as i reflected on Bryan’s life and struggles and thinking that this would be a place that i bet Bryan would’ve brought Erin and the pups.
Then this September I was physically able to hold Bryan’s stone and Carry it in my pack hiking up Cadillac Mnt. I was on Team Blackwood and it was an Amazing hike. The foliage was hard to see because of low cloud cover but that didn’t matter because we were all telling stories all the way up. I definitely was the underdog of the group being the slowest and i felt Bryan encouraging me along the way. There was one specific spot that we had to climb up some rock ledge and my legs couldn’t reach to pull myself up onto the next level and as i struggled i kept thinking come on Bryan give me strength and i got boost up and where my knee landed was this perfect shaped heart rock and i picked it up and loudly said “Thank You Bryan”. It truly was one of the best hikes i’ve been on and I truly believe it was because i had double the time and reflection with Bryan. I am saddened that i was not able to connect with Erin but i was able to research and also one of the other hikers knew some great stories through carrying his stone on another occasion that he shared with me. Bryan will forever be in my heart and I do hope someday when we are able to join together again I would love to meet you all and share some of the pictures I took. I will honor Bryan’s memory by making a donation to one of the local cancer centers in his name. God Bless You All
Dear Erin,
I wanted to start off by saying thank you for giving me the honor and privilege of carrying Petty Officer First Class Bryan J Hobart’s story and stone at this year’s virtual BSP event.
Although I missed hiking with my TSP family I am glad I got to participate virtually. At first, I was not sure where to hike. The weather was looking bleak and everyone I wanted to hike with backed out because of the weather. Nonetheless, I drove to Bangor and picked up Bryans stone. On the way back to my house my daughter became fascinated with how much his stone sparkled. She read his card and sat quietly for the rest of the ride home (which was very odd for her).
Being able to pick up Bryan’s stone a week early gave me the chance to spread his story to many more people than I thought was possible. To honor Bryan I had the opportunity to do it Bryan style. Since he loved a good adventure I spread his story and share his stone virtually with a local church, with 20 plus people at Timberland Acres campground, fishing with friends at camp, and on the mountain top. I made sure to take Bryan’s stone and story on as many adventures that two weeks would allow.
I did not plan to talk to anyone at the campground at first. I had just picked up Bryan’s stone and I had planned on just sitting around the campfire and figuring out where my hike was going to take place. That was until a little dog snuck over to my campfire and insisted I pet him. I pet him for a few minutes and then his owner came by looking for him. Although he called him the dog did not seem to want to leave. With Bryans stone in my hand, I decided to walk the dog back to his owner’s camper. The owner of the dog had a lot of people over for a cookout and beer around the fire. He offered me food and a beverage and asked what the meaning behind the stone was that I was carrying. I talked about how Bryan deployed multiple times in support of the Global War on Terrorism and received numerous awards including the Navy Achievement Medal. I also spoke about his ability to make everyone feel special, his caring demeanor of always caring for the weak and looking out for the underdog, his adventures with his wife and two dogs, how he captured his wife’s heart through her stomach, and his philosophy on enjoying every minute of life right up till the day he died. As I shared Bryan’s story the dog came over and sat next to my feet. I was then certain that Bryan’s spirit led me next door as he loved dogs, beer, and good company.
The day of the hike was almost like my last experience at BSP. The day started out dreary, cool, and the sky looked like it could open up into a downpour at any moment. Although the weather was not the greatest and the fog made everything damp, the hike was near perfect. The trail was so quiet I could hear every bird chirp and though I came prepared there was not a mosquito, black fly, or tick insight. As I reached the top of the mountain I looked down into the water below and noticed a loan big Ship sitting in the bay. It reminded me of Bryan’s service in the Navy and I was able to share his story with two others on the summit. As I started down the mountain it began to rain. I would typically be worried hiking in these conditions but the rain turned the mountainside into mini waterfalls that were almost mesmerizing. I just chalked the experience up to having one last adventure with Bryan! Just like my last experience at BSP, the rain turned into a downpour shortly before reaching the parking lot and I could not help but laugh and enjoy the rain.
Thank you Erin for taking the time to talk to me and for sharing your memories of Bryan. It was an honor to carry Bryan’s stone and Story.
Sincerely,
Chrissy L.
This is the first time Iâve read any of your stories and tributes to my son Bryan and I thank each of you for your kind words and stories they truly mean a lot ! Each of you are doing a wonderful thing keeping our memories alive and filling our hearts with love . You are heroâs to me and in a very beautiful way , With all sincerity â¤ď¸Bryanâs proud Mom Karen
I had the pleasure of carrying Bryanâs memorial stone at the Ruck for the Fallen this year at Gray. I asked if any stones were available and when asked what branch I chose Navy. My Dad was in the Navy and achieved many awards for his duty in Vietnam so that seemed right for me. I learned as much of Bryanâs story as I could before our trek, and thought of him often. He seems like such a sweet guy and I can tell why he is missed so much. He was awarded many times as well, and always appeared to direct his life in acts of good for the benefit of others. I would be honored to carry his stone again and thank you so much for allowing me to see a little glimpse into how this local Hero bravely lived his life. MHANF