Garret Augustus Hobart IV
South Royalton, VT – Garret Augustus Hobart IV, 91, of South Royalton, VT, passed away on September 12, 2026.
Born in 1935, in New York City to Garret and Manette Hobart, Garret carried a legacy of public service as the great-grandson of Garret Hobart, the 24th Vice President of the United States under President McKinley.
Education and Early Career
Garret’s early years were spent in Tuxedo Park, NY, where he attended the Tuxedo Park School until 1945. He continued his education at the Fay School in Southborough, MA, and later graduated from Deerfield Academy in 1953, where he was a standout athlete in swimming, track, and football.
After beginning his collegiate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he transferred to Oberlin College, earning his undergraduate degree in Government with honors in 1957. While at Oberlin he married his first wife and together they traveled to Boston where he went on to graduate from Harvard Law School in 1961.
Garret began his legal career at the firm of Schenck, Price, Smith & King in Morristown, NJ. He served as a local prosecutor for Jefferson Township for 17 years and, fueled by a lifelong passion for politics, launched a campaign for the U.S. Senate in New Jersey. Though he did not win the general election, he earned a lasting reputation as a formidable advocate for single chamber legislation.
A Life of Passion and Adventure
Beyond the law, Garret was a man of many interests. An aviation enthusiast, he purchased a small municipal airport in East Hanover, NJ and served as CEO of a general aviation firm. At age 42, he reignited his athletic spirit, eventually completing nine marathons, including the New York City Marathon three times. He also was a professional photographer with his photography often on display.
In 1983, Garret and his second wife, Nancy Mabey, whom he married in 1972, left urban life to become farmers in South Royalton, Vermont. There, Garret became an avid gardener, winning numerous blue ribbons at the Tunbridge World’s Fair. He also raised a flock of over 50 sheep and served as President of the Vermont Sheep Breeders Association.
He was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed kayaking and cross-country skiing and mountain climbing across New England and the Alps. However, his most cherished place was the Rangeley Lakes Region in Western Maine, where he returned nearly every year since boyhood to fish for wild salmon and trout at the family’s summer camp. He and Nancy traveled extensively later in life visiting New Zealand, Africa, Peru, Antarctica and many EU countries, always with multiple cameras strapped to him.
Community and Family
“Garry” was deeply committed to his community, serving as a long-standing member of the South Royalton Rescue Squad and the Planning Commission, he also participated in Moot Court proceedings at the Vermont Law School. He was known as a man always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 47 years, Nancy Hobart. He is survived by his daughters, Caroline Lederman (Henry) and Kathy Bunnell; his sons, Kevin Mabey (Lisa) and Chris Mabey (Julie); and nine grandchildren: Andrew, Sophie, and Olivia Lederman; Doug and Kara Bunnell; and Parker, Pierce, Eliza, and Hayden Mabey.
Service Information
A celebration of life will be held by the family at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Garry’s memory to the Town of Royalton, VT 85 Goodrich Meadows-PO Box 680, South Royalton, VT 05068.
Click here to sign the guest book or honor their memory with flowers, donations, or other heartfelt tributes
