Steven Hoecker

Steven Hoecker, 75, passed away on January 17, 2025, at his home in Madison, WI. Born in 1949 to Rosemarie (Gray) and William Hoecker in Parma, Ohio, Steve lived a life of adventure and took as many people along for the ride as were willing to join him.

Steve was so passionate in his commitment to others, the community, and the environment, that he made it his career. Steve cared deeply for the people with which he worked and for their collaborative mission. Nowhere was this more evident than in his work as the director of the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center (NGLVC). NGLVC staff shared that, as a leader, Steve was known for his integrity, vision, compassion, and unrelenting work ethic.

A celebration of life will be held at the NGLVC on May 17 th, 2025 at 1pm.

In lieu of flowers, it was Steve's wish to have memorials support educational programming at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center. This will help continue his work that merged community, education, and partnerships in his beloved Northwoods. Visit https://nglvc.org/support/ to donate.

Steve is survived by his wife of 53 years, Elizabeth, his daughter, Jenna (Cory) Stoughtenger, his grandson, Will Stoughtenger, his sister, Sandy Rusinko (Medina, OH), his brother, Mike (Sue) Hoecker (Chatsworth, GA), brothers-in-law John Williams and James Williams, and his nieces and nephews: Tracy (Jeff) Miller, Ben (Angela) Hoecker, Katie Hoecker, Allison (Andrea) Williams, Justin (Hans) Williams, Kevin (Melanie) Williams, and Amy (Jason) Legg.