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In memory of
John Allan Hobson
June 3, 1933 - July 7, 2021
Jun 3, 1933 - Jul 7, 2021
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John Allan's obituary
Born in 1933 and raised in West Hartford, CT, Allan Hobson attended the Loomis School (class of 1951) followed by a year abroad at the Sutton Valence School in England as a fellow of the English-Speaking Union. He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1955 and received his MD from Harvard Medical School four years later. After interning for two years at Bellevue Hospital in New York, he served as a commissioned officer in the Public Health Service of the National Institutes of Health in Washington DC. It was there that Dr. Hobson met the experimental neurophysiologist Michel Jouvet, whose work catalyzed Hobson’s early interest in mind-body interactions into a focus on sleep and dreams. A two-year fellowship with Jouvet at the University of Lyon, France ensued, after which Hobson returned to Boston. Before moving permanently to Vermont, Allan lived in Brookline, Massachusetts, with extended stays in Messina, Sicily.
For over four decades, Hobson directed the Laboratory of Neurophysiology and was Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. In collaboration with Dr. Robert McCarley, he directed pioneering research projects leading to the world-recognized Reciprocal Interaction model and Activation-Synthesis hypothesis about REM sleep. He then pursued his interests by establishing new models, AIM and REM as virtual reality, to study the neuropsychology of conscious states and dreaming in normal subjects as well as in psychiatric patients. He wrote prolifically in his quest to align theories of psychology and consciousness with biological empirics, publishing over 20 books and many more scientific papers. A working psychiatrist at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center during his entire career, Dr. Hobson was also a fierce advocate for the dignity of the mentally ill.
Dr. Hobson drew on a seemingly endless well of curiosity and energy and was an exuberant extrovert. He operated with a healthy skepticism of conventions he viewed as parochial, such as disciplinary silos or the idea that work and pleasure should be kept separate. Throughout his professional life, he assembled many collaborations into a constellation of friendships and adventures connecting Boston to France, Norway, and Japan and many places in between. He especially enjoyed partnerships with visual artists, which reached special heights in Dreamstage--a highly-acclaimed interactive exhibit celebrating the art and science of sleep which toured science museums across the United States in the late 1970s.
As a parent, he sought to impart the value of hard work, self-sufficiency, and education, and was especially proud of his son Ian’s successful pursuit of an independent career and livelihood. He was equally dedicated to fun. A New York Yankees fan from childhood, Allan patiently taught all of his five children to throw and catch, both baseball and football. The hiking trips and outdoor meals he organized were legendary, and he insisted on barbecuing over wood fire without exception. Raising his twin sons Andrew and Matthew and enjoying his Sicilian-born stepchildren as a ‘do-over’ Dad in his 60s brought Allan special pride.
After the life of the mind, Hobson’s most abiding passion was his farm in East Burke, Vermont, which he acquired in 1965 and dedicated his adult life to stewarding. For many years, the farm provided a special gathering place for family, friends, and colleagues--the dining room table was often a site of celebratory recitations of poetry and song, after which the kitchen would fill with the sound of Big Band favorites and become a dance floor. He was very appreciative of the many local craftspeople who contributed to the restoration and care of the farm.
Allan Hobson is survived by his wife, Dr. Rosalia Silvestri, of Messina, Italy, son Ian (Brookline, MA), son and daughter-in-law Christopher Hobson and Mary Todd Goodspeed (Wilton, CT), sons Andrew and Matthew Hobson (Raleigh-Durham, NC and Messina, Italy), his daughter and son-in-law Julia and Mark Haggerty (Bozeman, MT), his brother and sister-in-law Bruce and Lynda Hobson (Manchester Center, VT), stepchildren Raffele, Elena, Giugi and Enzo Tanzariello and Luca and Caterina Di Perri, all of Messina, and grandchildren Henry and Chance Hobson and Lucy and Jude Haggerty, and long-time family friend Chantal Rode of St. Seurain-sur-L’isle, France. He was preceded in death by his beloved sister, Harriett Mowshowitz of Neversink, NY. He is fondly remembered by his first wife, Joan Harlowe, of East Burke, VT.
The Hobson family is profoundly grateful to his personal caregivers as well as the staff of Caledonia Home Health Care & Hospice who provided exceptional care in his extended convalescence. A memorial service is planned for early fall.
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Memories & condolences
In 2003 I visited Allan at his home in Messina after I had met him briefly at the University of Tübingen where I worked…
In 2003 I visited Allan at his home in Messina after I had met him briefly at the University of Tüb…
In 2003 I visited Allan at his home in Messina after I had met h…
Allan Hobson was my friend and mentor. I first contacted him in 1992, after reading his book The Dreaming Brain, and s…
Allan Hobson was my friend and mentor. I first contacted him in 1992, after reading his book The D…
Allan Hobson was my friend and mentor. I first contacted him in…
For the past 35 years, I came to the farm each winter with a collection of friends and family. We treasured our time t…
For the past 35 years, I came to the farm each winter with a collection of friends and family. We …
For the past 35 years, I came to the farm each winter with a col…
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Created with love by
Andrew Hobson (John Allan's son),
Caterina Di Perri (John Allan's step-daughter),
Luca Di Perri (John Allan's step-son),
Rosalia Silvestri (John Allan's wife) and
Julia Haggerty (John Allan's daughter).
