Steven Don Hoey

1963 - 2022

Steven Don Hoey March 2, 1963 - February 16, 2022 San Diego, CA - Steven Don Hoey, 58, of San Diego, CA, formerly of Rockton, IL was called to his heavenly home Wednesday, February 16, 2022, after a valiant and courageous battle with cancer. Steve was blessed with enormous gifts; an incredible intellect, an unrivaled passion, interest and talent in music and a voracious appetite for all that life has to offer. He also possessed an unequaled capacity for love of his family, his many friends throughout the world and for all living creatures Steve encountered.

Steve was born March 2, 1963, in Beloit, Wi to parents Harry L. "Bud" Hoey and Nancy M. (Cornwell) Hoey. During his youth, Steve became an organist and a primarily self-taught flutist. He became a church organist at St. Peter's Catholic Church in South Beloit at age 12. After graduating from Hononegah Community High School in Rockton in 1981, Steve earned a scholarship to Harvard University from where he graduated Magna cum Laude with a B.A. in Psychology in 1985. Steve earned a prestigious Marshall Scholarship to pursue graduate studies at Oxford University in the United Kingdom, graduating with a Master of Philosophy degree in 1987. Upon graduation from Oxford, Steve returned to the U.S. to join Oliver, Wynman & Company as a management consultant. He spent several years living in both New York City and London working as senior project manager for the firm, which specialized in the global financial services industry.

Though he enjoyed great success in the business world, Steve's true calling was music. In the mid-1990 he left Oliver Wynman to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree in Music Composition at California Institute of the Arts in Santa Clarita, CA. Upon earning his MFA, Steve enrolled and would eventually earn a PhD in Music Composition at the University of California San Diego.

Steve won several awards for his music compositions, including the Dutilleux Prize for International Composition, the Charles Ives Scholarship from The American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Thomas Nee Commission from the La Jolla (CA) Symphony Orchestra.

Steve served on the board of directors for Villa Musica, San Diego. He also performed with several San Diego area chamber orchestras and ensembles and contributed his gift and talent for music to youth and church music ministries at Clairemont Lutheran Church in San Diego.

Steve was Portfolio Manager of technology start-up companies in Southern California incubating at EvoNexus. He served as Chief Strategy Officer for ThinkingNode Life Science, a Rancho San Diego artificial intelligence (AI) company, and he spent 11 years at CONNECT, a non-profit tech and life sciences accelerator in San Diego.

Steve was warm, generous, compassionate, immensely talented and a gentleman of the highest order. He was truly one of a kind!

Steve is survived by his mother, Nancy of Rockton, IL and The Villages, FL; brother, Bradley Hoey of DeKalb, IL; brother Patrick Hoey of Carpentersville, IL; niece and nephew, Tabitha Hoey and Ethan Hoey, and his many friends and associates across the globe. Steve was predeceased by his father, Bud Hoey. The Hoey family wishes to thank Steve's close friends Fiona Chatwin, Rich Storch and Nichole Hoey for their love, support, and hard work during this difficult time.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be given to Hononegah Community High School's HOPE Foundation - Steve Hoey Scholarship, and Villa Musica, San Diego.

Visitation and remembrance for Steven Hoey will be Saturday, April 9 at McCorkle Funeral Home, 767 N. Blackhawk Boulevard, Rockton. Illinois. Visitation will be 9:30 a.m. followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m. A celebration of life luncheon will be held at the Rockton American Legion #332, 221 W. Main Street, Rockton immediately after the memorial service. A memorial event celebrating the life and music of Steve Hoey will be held in San Diego, California in mid-June.