Roger Jeffrey Hoyles

Roger Jeffrey Hoyles, 79, of Farragut, Tennessee, passed away on Sunday, April 5th at The Nursing Center at Little Creek in Knoxville. He was born in Detroit, Michigan on July 7, 1946.

Jeff was a kind and grounded man whose foremost priority was his love of family. He was so proud of his children, Erin and Trevor, and his grandsons Dylan and Graham Hoyles. Jeff carried himself with humility and was known for his tireless work ethic and conscientious nature. He enjoyed working alongside Jill on home improvement projects, tending to the flower gardens, and shaping the landscape around them. He was rarely idle, always finding purpose and satisfaction in building, improving, and caring for the places they shared. He possessed a wonderfully wry, understated wit, often delivered with perfect timing and a quiet smile.

He spent much of his childhood along with his 4 siblings, at his family's cottage on Lake Huron and he always considered Lexington his home. It was there that his sister, Pat instilled in him a lifelong passion for reading. He began dating Jill Norton in 1966, and it was at the cottage that they fell in love. Little did they know then that they were about to embark on a lifelong romance of nearly 60 years. Jeff and Jill were married in 1968 and Erin and Trevor arrived a few years later. It was important to Jeff that his children experience the same halcyon summer days of his youth on Lake Huron. Returning to his childhood home became a much-loved annual tradition when Erin and Trevor were young.

His career took him to Idaho which he and Jill called home for 17 years. He found great joy in family camping trips, exploring the rugged beauty of the Idaho wilderness, from the Sawtooth, Bitterroot, Lemhi, and Lost River mountain ranges, to the winding Snake and Salmon rivers. These experiences deepened his lifelong love of the outdoors. Some of his happiest times were spent hiking and backpacking in the Teton Mountains, and the Wind River Range of Wyoming, often accompanied by his son, Trevor.

Jeff graduated from Michigan State University in 1969 with a BS in Business Management. He dedicated much of his career to the Department of Energy, serving as Director of Contracts and Procurement at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory and, before that, in Oak Ridge, TN. After retiring from the federal government, he continued to work for fifteen years as a consultant and business manager at nuclear decommissioning sites across the US, including Paducah, Kentucky and Humboldt Bay, California, as well as the UK at Sellafield in the Lake District.

While working in the Lake District, Jeff spent most of his free time walking the footpaths of the picturesque fells, and while in Humboldt Bay, he hiked the spectacular coastal paths of Northern California.
He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle, and is survived by his wife, Jill Norton Hoyles, whom he met while attending Michigan State University; his daughter, Erin Hoyles; his son, Trevor Hoyles (Michelle); and his grandsons, Dylan Hoyles and Graham Hoyles. He is also survived by his brother, Michael Hoyles (Sheila); his sister, Virginia Howcroft (Paul); and sister-in-law Victoria Perez Norton. He was preceded in death by his parents, Roger and Ruth Hoyles; his sisters, Carol (Jerry) Farr and Patricia (Henry) Matthews; and brother-in-law Glyn Norton

The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the caring nurses, CNAs, and staff of The Nursing Center at Little Creek, as well as UT Hospice, for the compassion and care they provided during the final stage of his life.

A celebration of his life will be planned for later this summer.