BURTON HOBSON

HOBSON--Burton Harold. 1933-2023. Burton Harold Hobson passed away on October 3, 2023, at the age of 90. He was born in 1933 in Galesburg, Illinois, and met his wife Maxine Meyer when they were both freshmen at the University of Chicago. After graduation he worked at Marshall Field & Company in Chicago, where he became manager of the coin and stamp department. While in that position, he wrote the first of his numerous books on coins, many of which have been translated into foreign languages. He won the Robert Friedberg Award for Numismatic Literature in 1972. From there he became the Sales Manager for Sterling Publishing Company in New York. He worked his way up in the company, eventually becoming President and then Chairman of the Board. Under Burton's leadership, Sterling Publishing became best known for launching the Guiness Book of World Records as an international authority. As a result of working with chefs and sommeliers on their books, Burton became very interested in the food and wine world. He became Bailli Delegue (National President) of the Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, a Trustee of the Culinary Institute of America, and an Honorary Trustee of the American Academy of Chefs. He was made an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Johnson and Wales University, and was a Trustee of the Wildlife Trust. Burton was also a member of the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, Keepers of the Quaich, and the American Numismatic Society. Burton was predeceased by his wife Maxine in 2019. He is survived by his three children, Alice Gansfield (Steven) of Boulder, CO, Andrew Hobson (Ginger) of Naples, FL, and Mark Hobson (Traecy) of Westfield, NJ. He also leaves behind grandchildren, Amanda and Ben, Sam, Adam, Jeremy, Christopher, Kevin and Jin, Jillian, and Ryan, and a great-granddaughter, Maxine.