Richard Oland Hokanson

Richard Oland Hokanson

Feb. 22, 1945 - April 13, 2011

Richard Oland Hokanson passed away April 13, 2011 from natural causes due to a head injury that occurred almost 38 years ago. He was 66.
A memorial service in his honor will be held at 2:00 p.m. on June 5, 2011 at the Advent Lutheran Church in Mill Creek, WA. He will be put to rest at Purdy and Walters at Floral Hills in Lynnwood, WA.
Born February 22, 1945 in Port Orchard, WA, Dick and his parents, Gus and Shirley, lived in Magnolia where he attended school with his cousins before moving to the Columbia Basin. In 1957, Dick was a member of the Ephrata Little League team which made it to the Regional Final in San Francisco, CA, one game away from reaching the L.L. World Series in Pennsylvania.
The family moved to Pasco shortly later where Dick was well known for his athletic prowess as a three year letterman in baseball and football while earning two letters in basketball. After high school, he went to WSU to play baseball, but eventually finished playing ball and graduated from Eastern Washington State College.
In December of his senior year at Eastern, he married Carolyn Roe. After college, they moved to Palmdale where he taught at Sage Junior High School for a couple of years before moving back to Tri-Cities. His son Mickey was born in 1971 in Kennewick where Dick was now teaching and coaching at Park Middle School.
In July of 1973, Dick was playing slow-pitch softball in a big tournament in Kennewick when his life changed. He collided with the catcher at home plate and was knocked unconscious. He was in and out of a coma for about four months until Thanksgiving morning when he woke and from then, began the difficult road to recovery. The injury, however, left him paralyzed from the waist down and on the right side of his body and in a wheelchair. He moved in with his parents as he needed full-time care but, being the athlete that he was, continued his sit-ups and exercises.
For a number of years, Dick worked at Columbia Industries in Kennewick. In 1997, Dick and his parents moved to the Mill Creek/Everett, WA area to be nearer to family who lived in the area and close to a center for traumatic brain injuries in Snohomish. In between the years his parents passed on, Dick began his stay in the Delta Rehabilitation Center Snohomish Chalet and quickly grew in their hearts as one of the family. The staff at Delta really cared for Dick and were a blessing to him in his final days.
He saw his son Mickey graduate high school and college. Dick also attended his son's wedding in Birmingham, AL in 2004 and was able to hold his newborn grandson A.J. in 2008. Family, friends, and faith were always important to Dick and his relatives and friends who lived near him would visit and make sure to include him for family gatherings, holidays, and trips to church, or just take him out to spend time with him. He was a devout member of the Lutheran church and attended Advent Lutheran Church in Mill Creek.
Dick is survived by his son, Mick; daughter-in-law, Emily; and grandson, A.J. Hokanson of Troy, AL; and stepbrother, Bill and his wife Jolene Hokanson and their daughter's families in Nebraska. He is also survived by special family members, uncle, Alan Hokanson; cousins, Gary and Eileen Hokanson; Leona Hokanson and Ron Campbell; Marty and Cindy Hokanson and their children from the Seattle area; cousin, Alan and Ae-Ryeon Hokanson and their children in Seoul, Korea; aunt Helyn and uncle Frank Leathley; cousins, Brad and Cindy Leathley; Scott and Bonnie Leathley; and Allison Leathley, all from the Seattle area.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the "Delta Foundation" at the Delta Rehabilitation Center Snohomish Chalet located at 1705 Terrace Avenue, Snohomish, WA 98290 in the name of Dick Hokanson.