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Earl Roger Hibbard
December 22, 1927 - January 21, 2015
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Earl Roger Hibbard
1927 – 2015
Earl Roger Hibbard, 87, of Olympia, WA passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 21,
2015 surrounded by his family.
Roger was born in Medford Oregon on December 22nd, 1927, the only son of Earl Roy Hibbard
& Cloa Arvilla (Charlotte) Pearce.
Roger grew up during the depression in Southern Oregon & California. He joined the Navy in
1946 and became a radar instructor, launching his electronics engineering career.
After leaving the Navy, he attended Reed College in Oregon, where he met Suzanne R. Barry.
They were married in San Francisco in August, 1950, and together raised five children in the
Bay Area. He then lived in Berkeley, CA, and helped raise Laura and Alicia Jaffe. Roger later
lived for many years in Arroyo Grande, CA, where he and his wife Jo Ann Dotario raised Curtis
Weddington, whose youthful influence and gentle spirit added to his enjoyment of his later
years. Family was central to all that was important to Roger. His love of life, quick wit, and
tender soul will be long felt and long remembered by all.
Roger was a man with many interests in topics ranging from electronics, photography, and
wilderness, to genealogy, art, and archeology. He was a man of precision. What he did, he did
well: what he built was made to last.
Roger worked for over 50 years in the electronics industry and helped pioneer early electronic
recordings, machinery and much of the technology that runs the movie theatre sound industry.
One of the highlights of his career of quiet contributions of monumental significance was his
1998 receipt of an Academy Award for his lifetime contribution to the film industry.
After his retirement in 2009, Roger & Jo Ann moved to the Seattle area to be closer to family.
Roger 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.
In death as in life, Roger’s love and influence continues to be felt. He has left a rich legacy for
those who will carry on his life’s work of learning, loving and caring.
He is preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Ruth, Elsie, Mary, and Cherie; by his first wife
Suzanne, and second wife Joyce.
He is survived by his wife Jo Ann (Richmond, CA), his children, Steven (Fortuna, CA), Susan
and Steve (Chehalis, WA), Mary and Karen (Idaho Falls, ID), Meg (Sammamish, WA), Anita and
John (Pocatello, ID), Curtis Weddington (San Francisco), and Alicia and Laura; 9 grandchildren,
15 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild.
In lieu of flowers, the family would like donations made to the Yosemite Conservancy, 101
Montgomery St, Suite 1700, San Francisco 94104 ; www.yosemiteconservancy.org or the
National Park Foundation at nationalparks.org.