Jack Hockenberry, 1931-2018

Published 12:02 am Saturday, May 5, 2018

Jack K. Hockenberry, formerly of Albert Lea, passed away Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018, in Anoka.

He was born Jack Kenneth Hockenberry on May 11, 1931, to Thomas and Beatrice (Eiche) Hockenberry in Dayton, Ohio. After high school graduation, he attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial design. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon National Fraternity.

Jack Hockenberry

On Aug. 7, 1954, he married Nancy Slagle in Newark, New York. During their marriage of 62 years, he was an industrial designer having worked in that capacity at Wright-Patterson Air Force base, Eastman Kodak Co., IBM, Syracuse University Research Corp., Steelcase Inc., Wenger Corp., Streater, Design Vision and Health Posture Inc.

Jack was active in civic arts groups throughout his career. He was a member of Owatonna community band,  the Tenney Chorale, Owatonna Jazz Band, the Austin Symphony and First Presbyterian Church  in Albert Lea. During college and every place he lived, he joined or founded a traditional (Dixieland) jazz group.

He is survived by his twin sister, Janet Lehman, of  Pittsburgh; four sons, John Charles Hockenberry of Brooklyn,  New York, David Jeffrey (Sandy) Hockenberry, of Dubuque, Iowa, Peter Thomas (Katherine), Timothy Andrew Hockenberry of Charleston, South Carolina, and one daughter, Amy Jo (Craig) Hess of Anoka; 17 grandchildren; eight  great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Susan (Thomas) Young, of Montgomery, Texas. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife and brother-in-law.

His memorial service will be at 3 p.m. Friday at the Owatonna Art Center in Owatonna. Memorials may be given to the Land of Lakes Choirboys or the Owatonna Art Center.