Betty J. “JoAnn” Hobbs

Betty J. “JoAnn” Hobbs, 89, of Bettendorf, Iowa, passed away on March 9, 2026, at MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center.

Born Betty JoAnn Delk on November 2, 1936, in Illinois, she was the daughter of John Lucian and Martha Elizabeth (Burchell) Delk. She married the love of her life, Albert E. Hobbs, Sr., on February 19, 1956, in Seneca, Illinois. He preceded her in death on January 24, 2019.

After attending nursing school, JoAnn devoted herself to being a dedicated homemaker and raising her four children. The family lived in Ottawa, Champaign, and Pekin, Illinois, before settling in Eldridge, Iowa. She worked for the State of Illinois Road Department in Ottawa and later found great enjoyment working for the Illinois Press Association while living in Champaign. JoAnn volunteered for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and was an active member of Eastern Star. She cherished gardening and flowers, collecting elephants, and opening her home to family and friends. Some of her happiest moments were spent traveling across the United States with her husband in their camper.

JoAnn is survived by three children, Albert Hobbs, Jr., John Hobbs, and Joleen Hobbs, all of Bettendorf; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; her daughter, Susan Edwards; and her sisters, Louise and Dorothy Delk, Artie Peel, Patsy Evans, and Shirley Hopkins.