James Vernon Hoxie, age 88, passed away on Wednesday, January 10, 2018. He was born on October 8, 1929 to Harold and Agnes Hoxie in Waterloo, Indiana. He often joked that he was responsible for the stock market crash, which occurred just three weeks after his birth.
He grew up in Waterloo, where he played center for his high school basketball team. He attended college at Purdue and earned a degree in mechanical engineering. An avid Boilermaker fan, Jim’s motto was, “Hoosier by birth, Boilermaker by the grace of God.”
Following graduation in 1952, Jim was hired by Airtemp, a division of Chrysler Corporation, and moved to Dayton, Ohio. He was drafted into the U.S. Army shortly afterward, where due to his engineering background, his duties included teaching other soldiers how to maintain heating and refrigeration devices. He returned to Chrysler after his discharge in 1955, and worked for them until his retirement in 1988.
Jim met the love of his life in 1957 when his best friend set him up on a blind date with his girlfriend’s best friend, Sally Poock. Jim and Sally married on May 17, 1958, and were devoted to each other for 60 years. They had three children: Joyce, John, and Laura.
The Hoxie family moved to Warren, Michigan in 1969 when Jim was transferred to the Dodge City Assembly plant to work as a resident engineer when air conditioning was added to Dodge trucks. His children attended college in Michigan and his two daughters also became Chrysler engineers.
Not content with retirement, Jim accepted a contract assignment to help with the establishment of a Chrysler minivan assembly plant in Graz-Liebenau, Austria. He and Sally spent six months there, where Jim oversaw minivan component quality, and they traveled throughout Europe on weekends. After his return, Jim helped with the development of the Dodge Viper. In 2002, Jim and Sally moved to White Lake, Michigan to be closer to family and friends, where they enjoyed spoiling their eight grandchildren.
Jim was a Mason and a member of the Riverview Lodge, and a member of Mariner’s Church in Detroit, Michigan.
Jim is survived by his beloved wife, Sally; his children, Joyce (Jeff) Jackson, John (Julia) Hoxie, and Laura (Bret) Alden; by grandchildren, Tori (Jess) Selby, Rachel Jackson, Nathan Hoxie, Catharine (Lee) Siemens, Stephanie (Austin Miller) Hoxie, Bret Alden Jr., Alyssa Sherman, and Matt Sherman, and by his brother, Thomas (Catherine) Hoxie.
A Memorial service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, June 30, 2018 at the Highland Chapel of the Elton Black and Son Funeral Home, 3295 East Highland Rd., Highland, Michigan. The family will receive visitors from 10:30 am until the time of service. Inurnment will take place at 10:30 am on Monday, July 2, 2018 under the auspices of the United States Army at Great Lakes National Cemetery, 4200 Belford Road, Holly.
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