Larry Hobbs, who guided AP’s coverage of Florida news for decades, has died at 83

Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Robert Larry Hobbs, an Associated Press editor who guided Florida news coverage for more than three decades, has died. He was 83. Hobbs, who went by “Larry,” was known for his unflappable calm and gentle counsel. His nephew, Greg Hobbs, said he died Tuesday night in his sleep of natural causes at a hospital in Miami. From his editing desk in Miami, Hobbs helped guide AP’s coverage of the 2000 presidential election recount, the Elian Gonzalez saga, the crash of ValuJet 592 into the Everglades, the murder of Gianni Versace and countless hurricanes. Hobbs was beloved by colleagues for his institutional memory of decades of Florida news and for his self-effacing humor.