RICHARD EVAN HOBBY

BORN SEP 9, 1953 (GEELONG, VIC)

DIED MAY 18, 2026 (KELLYVILLE, NSW)

Richard Evan Hobby (Ric) lived a life defined by faith, family, service, adventure, and an unwavering determination to help others. He was a deeply loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, and friend whose influence reached far beyond his own family and across many parts of the world.

From a young age, Ric was known for his strong work ethic, sharp mind, and ability to solve almost any problem put in front of him. Growing up around family farm life, almond trees, and horses, he developed a hands-on mechanical mindset, building engines, computers, and practical solutions to everyday challenges. He was endlessly curious, strategic in the way he thought, and always eager to improve whatever he was working on.

Alongside his hardworking nature was a somewhat mischievous and adventurous streak that stayed with him throughout his life. He loved climbing towering trees, building tree houses, and spending time outdoors, often having "breakfast with the magpies" perched high above the ground. 

As a cheeky young boy, he was also known for launching pine cones with a slingshot at the old outside dunny while his sisters tried desperately to make their escape. After long days of school, work, and adventure, he would return home a hungry teenager, devouring fresh pipe loaves covered in jam and cream with such enthusiasm that became part of family legend.

Ric's career journey took him from construction and running his own businesses into a remarkable global career with Herbalife in Government Affairs. Beginning in New Zealand, he was personally assigned by Mark Hughes to help establish operations in the United Kingdom before expanding into Europe, South America, Africa, Asia, and many other parts of the world.

His work brought him into collaboration with numerous international health and nutrition organisations, including the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations, Direct Selling Association, and the United Nations.

Throughout his career, Ric had the opportunity to meet and work alongside many influential people across the world, including high-ranking government officials, presidents, royal representatives, industry leaders, and well-known public figures. Yet despite the significance of these experiences, he remained remarkably humble and grounded, always far more interested in the people behind the titles than the prestige itself.

Through these experiences, Ric developed a deep appreciation for the people, cultures, and traditions of the many nations he visited. He genuinely loved learning about the world and always made an effort to know at least a few words or phrases in the local language everywhere he travelled. He embraced experiences that many others would never dare attempt, including sampling some extremely unique delicacies far removed from what he was used to, among them sheep eyeballs, chicken feet, monkey brains, and even hot sand.

Wherever he went, Ric returned home with unforgettable stories, remarkable experiences, and an even greater appreciation for the diversity of people and cultures across the world.

Despite constant travel and international responsibilities, Ric never lost sight of what mattered most to him: his faith and his family. A devoted follower of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he dedicated much of his life to serving others through church callings, temple service, and teaching young adult classes throughout the week, even during the busiest years of his career. His faith was not simply something he believed, it shaped the way he lived, loved, and treated people. He continually strived to follow the example of Jesus Christ through kindness, generosity, humility, and service.

Ric had a deep love for adventure and for the beauty of God's creations. Whether riding motorcycles on-road or off-road, working on the Hobby farm in Putty, observing and interacting with wild horses, birds, and other animals, or simply being out in nature, he found joy in exploration and discovery. He also appreciated life's simpler pleasures such as movies, sports (particularly AFL), meat pies, ice cream, Yum-Yum cookies, always snacking on fruit and nuts, cheeky jokes, board & card games, reading, and time spent with those he loved.

One of Ric's most legendary traits was his ability to remain highly functional while relying on a complete lack of sleep. For decades, surviving on only two to three hours a night seemed to be perfectly normal for him. Family and friends knew that no matter the hour, Ric was likely awake responding to emails and messages, on an international work call, planning solutions to complex problems, or already halfway through the next day before everyone else had even gone to bed.

Exercise and activity were also a lifelong discipline for him. From a young age, he maintained a strict early morning exercise routine throughout most of his life. In later years, as his body aged but his determination never faded, he became focused on walking and movement, regularly achieving over 20,000 steps a day and somehow recording more "stand hours" on his Apple watch than seemingly possible. If he was short on steps late at night, family members might find him outside at 2am raking leaves in the front garden simply to hit his daily goals. It became one of the many quirks that made him unmistakably Ric.

Ric was also famously accident-prone, though many would argue "miraculously indestructible" was a more accurate description. Over the course of his life, he seemed to survive almost every imaginable mishap and dangerous situation: being hit by a car while riding his bike as a young boy, serious vehicle accidents including being T-boned in his Mitsubishi Evo and being pinned against a wall by a truck in Mexico, crash landings on icy runways, fending off thugs, evading gunfire whilst travelling in Russia and the Middle East, exploring active volcanos in the Philippines, escaping dangerous flood waters in Nairobi, and even falling from cliff edges, just to name a few. Somehow, he always found a way to come home safe.

To many family members, friends, and countless young adults he taught over the years in universities, church institute classes, and across multiple countries, the stories became so extraordinary that there was only one logical explanation: Ric must secretly have been an international spy. His resilience became legendary, and it was often joked that he was one of the few men alive feared by both John Wick and Chuck Norris. Beneath all the humour though, was a man of extraordinary strength, courage, faith, and perseverance, who continually chose to keep moving forward no matter what life placed in front of him.

Above all else, Ric loved his family. Coming from a family of seven siblings himself, he carried a deep appreciation for family throughout his life. He was immensely proud of his six children, twenty-three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren, and cherished every opportunity to spend time together, especially at monthly family birthday celebrations where he doted and served while the family ate, interacted, and played together.

Ric was unwavering in his commitment to supporting, teaching, and guiding his family through every stage of life. Whether helping navigate careers, solve difficult challenges, offer wise counsel, or simply provide encouragement during hard times, he was always someone his children and grandchildren could turn to. He took genuine interest in their goals, passions, and dreams, and found great joy in seeing each family member grow and succeed. His leadership, wisdom, belief in others, and quiet acts of service created a lasting foundation of strength and love that will continue through generations to come.

Ric leaves behind a legacy of faith, leadership, sacrifice, hard work, wisdom, humour, service, and love. He lived fully, served tirelessly, and impacted countless lives around the world. Though he will be deeply missed, his example, teachings, laughter, and love will continue on through all who knew him.