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Earl Roger Hubbard ’49

January 21, 2015, in Olympia, Washington.

Roger was born in Medford, Oregon, and grew up in southern Oregon and California during the Great Depression. He joined the navy in 1946 and became a radar instructor, launching his electronics engineering career. After leaving the navy, he attended Reed for two years, and then married Suzanne Barry; they raised five children in the Bay Area. They moved to Berkeley, where they helped raise Laura and Alicia Jaffe. 

Family was important to Roger, and for many years he lived in Arroyo Grande with his third wife, Jo Ann Dotario, and raised Curtis Weddington, whose youthful influence and gentle spirit added to the enjoyment of Roger’s later years.

Roger worked for more than 50 years in the electronics industry, helping to pioneer early electronic readings, machinery, and much of the technology that runs the movie theater sound industry. One of his career highlights was receiving an Academy Award in 1998 for his lifetime contribution to the film industry. He was a man of many interests, including photography, the wilderness, genealogy, art, and archeology. Roger was also a man of precision; what he did, he did well, and what he built was made to last.

After he retired, he and Jo Ann moved to the Seattle area to be closer to family. He spent the last 18 months of his life at Capital Place in Olympia, where he was an active member of the community, mentoring young people, starting a chess club, and befriending many of his fellow residents.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Suzanne, and his second wife, Joyce. His wife, Jo Ann, survives him, as do his children, Steven, Susan, Mary, Meg, Anita, Curtis, Alice, and Laur

Appeared in Reed magazine: March 2018

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