Patricia Ann Hoeksema

Patricia Ann Hoeksema TAMPA, Florida -- Patricia Ann Hoeksema, 80, passed peacefully on January 9, 2015, at home in Tampa. She courageously fought an eleven year battle with cancer. Private Burial will take place on April 13, 2015, at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. Public Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2 p.m. on April 14, 2015, at the Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club, located at 5811 Tampa Palms Blvd. In lieu of flowers memorials can be made in Patricia's name to the following: Life Path Hospice, Blue Team, Chapters Health Systems, Inc., 12470 Telecom Drive, Suite 300 West, Temple terrace, FL 33637 and the USF Botanical Gardens, Attn: Laurie Walker, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., NES107, Tampa, FL 33620. Patricia was born on February 22, 1934, in Muscatine, Iowa, to Guy and Gertrude Briggs Connor. Patricia married Vernon L. Hoeksema of Muscatine on January 4, 1953, in the Methodist faith while he was on leave from the Army. They celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary during her final week of life. She graduated from Muscatine High School (Muscatine, Iowa) in 1952 where she was in the band and very active in sports. In addition to being a ...[more]

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ber of the Girls Athletic Association, she participated in other sports at the YWCA, excelling in basketball, softball and tennis. She was considered the best female athlete of her time. Patricia was also an excellent student and leader. Her senior year she was in the court of homecoming queen. After marrying she spent time in Fort Riley, Kansas; Ames, Iowa; Muscatine, St. Louis, Missouri, The Hague, Netherlands; Antwerp, Belgium, Allentown, Pennsylvania, and the last thirty years in Tampa, Florida. Patricia's family, children, grandchildren, friends and dogs were always the most important part of her life. She did have other interests including: helping others (Meals on Wheels, hurricane disaster relief), protection of the environment and wildlife (raising butterflies, feeding squirrels, turkeys and birds and wetland preservation). Upon moving to Tampa Palms she made new friends and became interested in golf; developing new friends while playing with the nine-holers, 18-holers and various couples groups. She served on the club board and several golf committees. In Florida she also rekindled relationships with friends she met in Ft Riley, Kansas, and they in turn welcomed her into their group in St. Pete, Florida., for PEO activities, couples golf outings, and general social activities. She had many close friends throughout the US. Throughout all of her life no one ever thought she was shy and noncompetitive, she passed many of those characteristics onto her family members. They proudly adopted it as part of grandmother's "gift". Patricia saved all her small energy to spend one last Christmas with her loving family. In addition to her husband, she is survived by five sons and their families, Reverend Scot (Reverend Patricia) Hoeksema of Greenup, Kentucky, Douglas Hoeksema of Winter Park, Florida, V. Bruce Hoeksema of Rome, Italy, Dr. Greg (Mary) Hoeksema of Gig Harbor, Washington, and Alan (Kristina) Hoeksema of Winter Park, Florida. Patricia is also survived by grandchildren, Katie Hoeksema of Westerville, Ohio, Alison Hoeksema of Lexington, Kemtucky, LT. Kelly Rose of St. Johns, Virgin Islands, Kristine (Ross) Kovach of St. Louis, Missouri, Michael Hoeksema of Winter Park, Florida, Connor and Reese Hoeksema of Gig Harbor, Washington, and Lucas, Macy and Finley Hoeksema of Winter Park, Florida. She is also survived by one great-grandson, Alexander Kovach of St. Louis, Missouri. Patricia is survived by two sister-in-laws, Jean Hoeksema and Sarah Shoppa and an aunt, Dorothy Cockshoot, all of Muscatine, Iowa. Patricia was the youngest of 12 children and is survived by one sister-in-law Carolyn (John) of Marion, Iowa, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins. She is preceded in death by her parents; eight brothers: Howard, William, Robert, Donald, Richard, Charles, John and Chester and her three sisters: Eleanor Minder, Betty Clark and Joan Lawrence.