He was born to Flora (Brown) and John Hoagland in Kansas City, MO, on March 1. 1930.
John will be remembered as a hard worker, which began at an early age. When his father left his mother, him and his sister, he quit school in the 10th grade to help his mother. He was not afraid to work and would do any odd job he could find to help put food on the table. He used to love to tell people all the fun stories he had from selling produce off the back of a truck in the old days. Later in life, he would grow the biggest, best tasting tomatoes – if you ever saw him plant one, it was truly a labor of love.
He later got a real job and worked at Acme Fast Freight for years until they went out of business. He was accustomed to working 6 days a week, now providing a nice home for his wife and 4 children. When he no longer worked as a truck driver for Acme, he got his GED and was so proud when he got a real estate license. He found out quickly that he was not a good salesman because he was too honest. (One time he lost out on a real estate commission because he would not sale a young couple a house in a flood zone).
When a good friend of his needed help running his business, John worked for Skates Belting Company.
If you ask anyone, they will tell you that John was fun to be around and was always the life of the party. He could tell a story as if it really happened, and only at the punch line would you realize he was telling a joke. He loved to dress up as Santa Claus and entertain the children at many churches in the community.
The other thing that John was very proud of and will be remembered as is a Boy Scout Leader. He was not active in the Scouts when his 3 sons were growing up because he was too busy making a living, but as soon as he had the time, he became a leader and a mentor to a lot of young boys who didn't have a father figure in their life. All 3 of his sons were Eagle Scouts. John was as proud when one of the boys in his troop became an Eagle Scout – as if they were his own son. John received many awards for his leadership capabilities.
He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Betty Hoagland, Kansas City, MO, his 4 children: John S. Hoagland (Mita) of Liberty, MO; Gregg D. Hoagland (Deanne) of Bella Vista, Arkansas; Pam S. Young (Jim) of Newkirk, Oklahoma and Jim W. Hoagland (Tracy) of Kansas City, MO; his 7 grandchildren, Lindsay (Luke) Whitley, Gladstone, MO; Craig S. Hoagland (Janelle), Kansas City, MO; Kiley (Brian) Robinette of Bella Vista, Arkansas; Ryan Hoagland (Nikki) of Parkville, MO; Katie (Seth) Pearson of Seattle, WA; Turner Hoagland of Kansas City, MO; and Shelby Young of Newkirk, Oklahoma; 9 great-grandchildren: Logan Whitley of Marshall, MO; Lana Whitley of Gladstone, MO; Noah Robinette of Bella Vista, Arkansas; Shay and Lennox Hoagland of Parkville, MO; Pippa and Bella Hoagland of Kansas City, MO; Oliver Pearson of Seattle, WA; and Kaiser Young of Newkirk, OK.
Services for John will be at McGilley Antioch Chapel on Friday, November 3, 2023. Visitation will be 1:00-2:00 pm with the funeral service at 2:00 pm. Burial will follow in White Chapel Cemetery. Reception will follow services at the McGilley Antioch Chapel.
Donations may be made to Boy Scouts of America or Alzheimer's Association.
