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John P. Hubbell III Obituary

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John P. Hubbell III

Cambridge, MA

August 29, 1949 - January 17, 2021

John P. Hubbell III Obituary

John Platt Hubbell III died at home in Cambridge, MA, surrounded by loved ones, on Sunday, January 17th, 2021. His 71 years of life were shortened by lymphoma, a diagnosis he lived with, and fought against, for just over one year. He leaves behind his wife, Kathleen Reist, three daughters, Meredith Hubbell, Madeleine Hubbell-Everhart and Julia Hubbell, two sons-in-law, Laurance Kimbrough and Jesse Peters, one daughter-in-law, CJ Everhart, four grandchildren, Leslie Kimbrough, Carver Hubbell, Lucia Everhart and Jackson Everhart, two sisters, Pamela Robinson and Deborah Hubbell, and many beloved family members and friends. An avid adventurer in life, John searched for heights to climb, paths to bike, slopes to ski, sights to photograph, and light to heal. He was always someone who loved to climb, and he started young. As a boy, John and his older sister would often shinny up the tall spruce tree that was in the backyard of their childhood home; he hiked all 46 Adirondack Mountains by the age of 33; he scaled the scaffolding of the Zakim Bridge while it was being built; he loved going to the top of the tower at Mt. Auburn Cemetery; and he had 10 more of the 48 White Mountains to ascend, all of which he climbed during the winter months in the last 5 years of his life. John found joy and comfort in the outdoors and shared his passion for hiking, skiing, biking, sailing, tennis, landscape photography and more with his family and friends. While he was someone who enjoyed solitude and silence, he simultaneously cultivated intentional spaces for interaction with others, both professionally and personally. His dynamic way of connecting with people was evident within the various roles he embodied throughout his life. As a dedicated social worker, John counseled many individuals and served the community as a therapist for over 40 years. He was an expert in the field and took on roles as both a peer leader and supervisor. Simultaneously, he was committed to infusing his practice with new interventions and theories and he approached his work as a lifelong learner. While John was incredibly accomplished in so many facets of his life, his love and connection to his family offers the most intimate perspective into his authentic character and soul. He was a loving son to John Platt Hubbell Jr. and Martha Gallison Hubbell. John was a reliable source of support and strength to his parents, and he cared for both of them throughout their lives, especially as they aged. John was also an incredible brother who showed up for his sisters, Pam and Deb, and their families for the celebratory and adventuresome moments as well as the hard times. John was married to Kathleen for 42 years. After meeting in Chicago in 1971 while both were working at a youth help center, the two embarked on a devoted and lasting relationship that was grounded in unconditional love, maintaining and creating traditions, and the importance of family. John was a father to three daughters and cultivated meaningful, unique, and indelible relationships with each of them. He was consistent in his dedication to connecting with his girls--whether it was driving together in comfortably silent car rides, having memorable conversations around the dinner table, bringing them along on adventures, cooking his weekly Friday night pizza, or instilling his beliefs and morals through his actions--he always showed up with integrity, humility, and commitment to creating space for resolution when inevitable conflicts arose. Furthermore, all three of John’s children-in-law connected with him deeply and felt his unconditional love, which invited them to see him as a father figure as well. In the last eight years of his life, John experienced the joys of being a grandfather, a role he fully embraced with all four of his grandchildren. Not only did this bring his grandchildren much happiness, but it also clearly provided John with a renewed lightness upon getting the opportunity to carry on his playfulness, his love for the outdoors, his passion for always having a project to complete around the house, and his caring nature. Throughout all of the changes and roles John took on over the course of his lifetime, there is one place that remained a constant source of peace, freedom, and happiness for him: Sunnywood, in Chazy, NY. Beginning in childhood until his last summer in 2020, John spent as much time as possible traveling to this home away from home on Lake Champlain. This place--the mountains, the grape vines, the lake, the tennis court, the sunrises and sunsets, the silent and vibrant natural world--represents all of who he was: a forever adventurer, a man rooted in his family, a steadfast and wild soul. He will be endlessly loved and remembered. A virtual memorial service will be held via Zoom on Sunday, February 7th at 2pm. Please use the following link if you would like to attend the service: https://umassmed.zoom.us/j/91223738717?pwd=dGJaZmlFU0szMWdzZGtia2dhcDU2dz09 In lieu of flowers, please send donations to: • St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church using the following link: http://www.ssypboston.org/donate-now

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