David Hocker

1938 - 2024

David Edward Hocker, 86, of Owensboro, passed away July 2, 2024, at the Heartford House. David was born in Owensboro, Kentucky to the late Talmage Edward Hocker and Margaret McClanahan Hocker.

David founded and was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of David Hocker and Associates, Inc., which has developed and managed real estate and shopping centers since 1959. Following his 1959 graduation from Kentucky Wesleyan College with a degree in business and economics, David joined his father in developing his first shopping center, Wesleyan Park Plaza, which opened in 1964. In addition to Wesleyan Park Plaza in Owensboro, David developed Towne Square Mall, Towne Square North, One Park Place, and renovated and expanded Owensboro's Union Station that is on the National Register of Historic Places. In all, David developed more than 40 shopping centers containing over 14 million square feet of retail space located in 13 states. David's last enclosed regional mall opened in Jonesboro, Arkansas, in 2006 and was referenced in an article in The Wall Street Journal. David is referenced in The History of Shopping Centers alongside other shopping center industry pioneers.

In 1975, David was appointed to the Board of Trustees of Kentucky Wesleyan College; and, in 1980, was elected Chairman, serving in that role for 12 years. He received an honorary doctoral degree from Kentucky Wesleyan College in 1981 and served as a member of the Council of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities. David's service to Kentucky Wesleyan College was among his most valued passions.

In 1983, he was honored as the eleventh recipient of the Owensboro Board of Realtors Heritage Award. This award annually recognizes an individual's outstanding community contributions.

In 1986, David was chosen the winner of the Liberty Bell Award - an award given by the Daviess County Bar Association to recognize community leadership.

In 1988, he received the "Helping Hand Award" from the National March of Dimes Foundation in recognition of his contributions to the community in the area of higher education.

In May 1989, David was elected Chairman of the International Council of Shopping Centers, which is the trade association for the shopping center industry with over 50,000 members in the United States, Canada and more than 40 foreign countries. He also served on its Board of Trustees for many years and was a Kentucky real estate broker and a Certified Shopping Center Manager.

In 1989, he received the Arthur Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Real Estate Industry by INC Magazine.

In 1995, David was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Starmount Company, Greensboro, NC, and Owensboro Mercy Health Systems where he served as its Board Chairman.

In 2004, he was inducted into the Kentucky Wesleyan College Alumni Hall of Fame. He has continuously served on the Kentucky Wesleyan College Board of Trustees since 1975 and attained Emeritus status in 2012.

In April 2024, David was inducted into the Junior Achievement Owensboro Business Hall of Fame.

He was proud to have served in the United States Army Reserve for 6 years. David had been a member of Settle Memorial United Methodist Church since April 21, 1946, where he was a member and regular attendee of the Open Door Class.

David was recognized by the International Council of Shopping Centers for his corporate marketing department's "Developing the Vision" series. David lived a life committed to recognizing the potential of a community and its leaders, whether it was Owensboro, Gainesville, Savannah, Nashville, Hilton Head, Knoxville, Tupelo, Louisville, Lexington or any of the scores of other cities where he worked and invested, to envision growth through new and improved retail, office, retirement or residential facilities. Although education, the shopping center industry, and skiing in Aspen were high among David's passions, his love for and time spent with his family was the center of his joy.

David was preceded in death by his sister, Jane Anderson.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Marcia, of Owensboro; his children, Valeria Ball, Margaret Johnson and her husband, David Johnson, all of Brentwood, Tennessee and David Talmage Hocker and his wife, Rosemary Hocker, of Louisville, Kentucky; grandchildren, Harrison, Clay, Mary Grace, Maggie, and Ford Johnson, Hunter Ball, all of Brentwood, Tennessee, William Ball, of Lexington, Kentucky, and Brittney Thompson and Talmage Hocker, Jr., of Louisville, Kentucky; eight great-grandchildren, and one on the way; step-children, Mather Zickler and her husband Christoph Zickler, of Neenah, Wisconsin, Robert Zoss and his wife Katie Zoss, of Louisville, Colorado, Laurent Zoss and his wife Sheri Zoss, of Denver, Colorado and Banning Zoss, of Denver, Colorado; six step-grandchildren; sisters, Christy Hall, of Owensboro and Patricia Riddle and her husband, Bill Riddle, of Lexington; a sister-in-law, Joni Matthews and her husband, Scott Van Sickle; a brother-in-law, Jim Matthews and many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and cousins. A very special appreciation given to David's caregiver, Belinda Oost, for her love, commitment, and care.

The funeral service for David E. Hocker will be held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, July 10, 2024, at Settle Memorial United Methodist Church, 202 E. Fourth Street, Owensboro, KY 42303. Visitation will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, July 9, at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory. Entombment will be at Owensboro Memorial Gardens.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to the Settle Memorial United Methodist Church Good Samaritan Fund, Owensboro Goodfellows Club, or the Kentucky Wesleyan College Talmage and Margaret Hocker Scholarship Fund.

Memories and messages of condolence for the family may be shared at www.glennfuneralhome.com.