Dane Hobbs left his mark with many in Wilmington

A homeless man who passed away on Tuesday left his mark here in Wilmington.

Since Dane Hobbs died this week, we have received numerous e-mails and calls from viewers telling us what an impact Hobbs had on our community.

Folks said Hobbs was often seen walking up and down Market Street and Gordon Road in Ogden. To the public, he was known as Santa because of his long white beard. Residents we spoke with said he touched their hearts.

“He represented different things to different people, but to me I always thought he looked like Jesus, what I think Jesus would look like if he was on Earth today,” said Wilmington’s Faye Manore.

New Hanover County deputies found his body behind two vacant homes near Market Street and Middle Sound Loop Road. They are still investigating how Hobbs died.