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Alfred Eugene Cobb, 90, of Taylorsville, North Carolina and formerly of Montpelier, Ohio died Jan. 19, 2021 at his home on Lake Hickory. Al was born on April 15, 1930, the son of Carl L. and Marie Pearl (Cadarette) Cobb in Detroit, Michigan. On Oct. 17, 1953 he married Helen M. Hofbauer and she survives.
Al was a well known businessman in Montpelier, where he purchased the Rothenburger Hardware in 1957 and renamed it Cobb’s Hardware. He operated that hardware store on Main Street, and in 1981 he opened a second hardware store, Cobb’s Ace Hardware on Clark Road in Sarasota, Florida. He continued to operate the Montpelier hardware, along with his son-in-law, Randy McGowen, until 1982 when he closed it. He operated the Sarasota store until 1995 when he retired.
Al went to Royal Oak High School in Royal Oak, Michigan, where he was a pitcher on the baseball team and he played basketball and football. He played clarinet in the high school band and was a Boy Scout.
Following high school he went to the Detroit Business Institute and in 1949 he became a member of the Michigan National Guard. It was while at DBI that Al began to go to a magic shop in Detroit and this led to a life-long hobby as a magician. Many people in the Montpelier and Sarasota areas can remember his magic shows. One of his particular joys was doing magic shows for his family and including his grandchildren in the act.
Prior to opening the hardware store in Montpelier, Al worked at the Wayne Oakland Bank, General Motors and the L & G Hardware.
While in Montpelier he was a member of the Chamber of Commerce where he served as president, a member of the Lions Club and a member of Rotary. He was a member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Montpelier. He joined the Zenobia Shrine in Toledo and the Magic Club in Toledo.
After moving to Sarasota he joined the Sahib Shrine and became a clown, often combining his magic skills with his clown skills. He thoroughly enjoyed being a clown in parades. In 1999 he became the Boss Clown at the shrine.
Al enjoyed making stain glass projects, woodworking, fishing, golfing, photography, and flower gardening.
In addition to being survived by his wife of 67 years, Helen, he is survived by two daughters: Elizabeth (Christopher) Cullis, of Bryan and Susan (Randy) McGowen, of Taylorsville, North Carolina. Five grandchildren: Christopher (Sara) Cullis; Kimberly Cullis (Mike) Imm; Jamie (April) McGowen; Joseph (Ashley) McGowen and Erin Peters. Also surviving are 11 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Carl and Marie Cobb and a sister, Noralee Howe.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Shriners Hospital for Children and Hospice.
There will be a graveside service for Al on Friday, January 29th at 1pm at Riverside Cemetery in Montpelier with Pastor Charles Case to officiate. Per the Governors orders, those wishing to attend are encouraged to wear a mask and follow the recommended social distancing guidelines.