John Sanborn Cobb passed away on July 3, 2022, after a short time in in-home hospice; his daughters were by his bedside.

John celebrated his 90th birthday in May, for which he boasted to anyone in earshot how happy he was to make 90! John was born and lived in Montserrat (Beverly), Massachusetts, until he and his family moved to the Bayley – Cobb Homestead in Newbury Vermont; he was a young lad.  He attended schools in both towns; he also attended Cushing Academy, in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, where his mother attended.

John joined the military – following a long line of ancestral service men. He was a direct descendent of General Jacob Bayley, a pivotal player in the American Revolutionary War. He, like his three brothers, all joined the armed services, as did two of his grandchildren. He enlisted and served in the National Guard (1951-1952), enlisted, and served in the Army (1953-1955); enlisted and served in the Air Force (1955-1973). His Air Force assignments began at Mitchel AFB (West Hempstead LI, NY; 1955-1959) during which time he married and had his first daughter. He moved his young family to Security Service Command (Bremerhaven, Germany; 1959-1962) where his second daughter was born. He was stationed, next, at Griffiss AFB (Rome NY; 1962-1966). He served at the base in Danang, Vietnam (1966-1967), and upon returning to his country, was spat on in the airport by an "objector de consciencia" of that war – who chose to take out his vitriol on a service man. He picked up his family in New Hampshire and moved to his next assignment at Iraklion AFB (Crete, Greece; 1968-1969): one of his favorite assignments – settled sweetly on the Mediterranean Sea. Upon their return to the states, he served at the Office of the Joint Chief of Staff (Washington DC, 1969-1972) while his family returned to their home in New Hampshire. He was then stationed to Hanscom AFB (Bedford, Massachusetts; 1972-1973) where he retired from the USAF.

Post USAF, he returned to Woodsville, free from taking weekend puddle-jumpers to be with his family.  He first worked for Woodsville National Bank (1973-1975), which became Lafayette National Bank (1975-1981), which became Indian Head Bank North (1981-1989), which became Fleet Bank - NH (1989-1998) when he'd had enough and retired as Bank Manager.

He, like his wife who predeceased him by 9 months, was actively involved in the Grafton County community. He earned his third degree in Free Masonry (1967) at Grafton Kane Lodge (#46) and also affiliated with Pulaski Lodge (#58).  He won the Major John Sullivan award for outstanding service (1987). He served as Worshipful Master at Grafton Kane Lodge (1992). He served as secretary to Worshipful Master (Paul Ricker) of the New Hampshire Grand Lodge (1986-88). He received a 50 years of Masonry medal (2018) at Mount Cube Lodge (#10), where he affiliated (2014) and would continue to be affiliated until his death.

He served as the Woodsville United Methodist Church Treasurer for many years, including Treasurer for the Home for the Aged. He served as a US NH State Representative for Grafton County (1996-99)-  two successive terms, which he often lectured "no congress person should exceed (two terms); it creates in-balance"). He loved telling his family his seat was in the heart of the capital where he and two fellow congressmen formed a bond: one a retired Berkley professor, Harley bike-rider, and devoted Democrat, the other a retired officer of the Marines and devoted Republican. John held the political middle ground – voting for Republican ideas and Democrat ideas – depending on this issue, his conscience, and the interests of the constituents he represented. This was not always easy to discern; he turned to prayer for insight. He served as a member of the Haverhill Planning Board, the Haverhill Select Board, and Town Treasurer.

John was, for much of his life, an avid golfer, although over the years he loved swimming, archery, bowling, tennis, and downhill skiing - even skied the Alps with his wife. Most of all, he loved shaking a rug (dancing) with mum.

John was a kind and generous man: he often paid for the person behind him at a toll booth.  He would pull his truck off to the side of the road if the person behind was in a hurry. He was frugal: he paid his town taxes at the town hall – the last day the taxes were due. He did this until his memory waned and, determined to pay without penalty, worried he'd forget, paid a week in advance, to which the Tax Collector said, "What are you doing, John?  You've got a week to go!"

He is predeceased by his beloved wife of 65 years, Shirley P Cobb, for whom his heart never mended from her loss. He leaves behind his daughter Cynthia M. C. Crow, her two sons William I Crow and Christian P Crow; his daughter Christina C Hebert, her husband Gary P Hebert, their two sons Timothy J Hebert, his wife Maddison M Hebert, her son Forrest G Brock and their son Gregory J.P. Hebert, and Benjamin R Hebert and his wife Sabrina Hebert and their sons Matthew T Hebert, Henry J Hebert, and Philip A Hebert.

He was a kind man with a charismatic and naturally-elegant essence; he was a man curious about people, their history, their culture, and their faith. He was a man of integrity. He was a magnificent husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather.  We will miss his soft blue eyes, his genuine smile, and his love for us - forever.

" It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again... who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. "  Theodore Roosevelt