Thomas Charles Hogan

1942 - 2020

Thomas Charles Hogan (1942-2020) died, peacefully and surrounded by love and laughter, on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020, due to ongoing health complications from a COVID-19 infection in May.

Tom, as everyone called him, was born on Jan. 24, 1942, in Armstrong County, and is the son of the late William Fraze Hogan and Louise Redenbach Hogan.

Tom grew up in Kittanning, Pa., enjoying his youth in the company of best friends he kept through adulthood. He was an Eagle Scout and participated on the wrestling team and in the marching band at Kittanning High School. He was an active member of the KHS class of 1960.

Tom went on to receive a Bachelor of Science in Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (1966) and a Master of Arts and Teaching from Tulane University (1971). He became a proud member of the Seneca Valley High School Mathematics Department in the fall of 1966, and remained in that position until his retirement. Tom also served in the U.S. Army Reserves for more than a decade.

Aside from the births of his children and grandchildren, Tom's proudest accomplishment was serving as an exchange teacher for a year in Rochester, Victoria, Australia, where he and his family lived in 1981. He fondly recollected experiences had in Australia, to his dying days. Always a tinkerer, his most passionate and longtime hobby was as a ham radio operator. He facilitated the Ham Radio Club at Seneca, and mentored several of those students throughout their lives. He was a longtime member of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and a lifetime member of Butler County Amateur Radio Association (BCARA). What he enjoyed most was facilitating free, intercontinental communication for family and friends long before the "technology revolution."

It's fair to say that everyone knew when Tom entered the room with his boisterous but inviting demeanor. He spent many hours enjoying cup after cup of black coffee at local diners and talking to anyone who was up for a chat. Tom was generous with his time, babysitting his grandchildren and petsitting his many grandpets over the years. He always was willing to drive anyone anywhere as he loved to drive. He participated in Lions Club, Teacup Squares, North Main Singles and volunteered as a "camp grandpa" at Lutherlyn, which he attended in his youth. Throughout his life he was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Kittanning, St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Evans City and Calvin Presbyterian Church in Zelienople, where he participated in choirs, performances and on church council.

Tom is survived by his sister, Barbara Hogan Allison and her husband, Ray; his two daughters, Jennifer Ann Robertson and her husband, Jim, and Julie Melissa Hogan and her husband, Sidd Sahay; his four grandchildren: the lights of his life, Rachael Joan Robertson and her partner, Maddy Becker, Thomas James "TJ" Robertson (his namesake), Luke William Robertson and his new wife, Clair, and his youngest grandchild, Hawk Bodhi Hogan Sahay, whom Tom thought was "awesome!" and wished he could see grow up; he is also survived by the mother of their girls, Joan Schmidt Hogan.

Due to COVID-19, there will be no services at this time. The family hopes to hold a celebration of Tom's life within the next year when a vaccine has allowed loved ones to gather safely.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Tom's name to the the REACH program at Camp Lutherlyn (checks made payable to Lutherlyn; with REACH - Tom Hogan on the memo line, PO Box 355, Prospect, PA 16052, (724) 865-2161, www.lutherlyn.com/support/donate), the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank (1 N. Linden St., Duquesne, PA 15110, (412) 460-3663, www.pittsburghfoodbank.org/waysto give), or any charitable organization you hold close in your heart.

Tom was blessed to have dear and accepting friends and family throughout his lifetime and remained grateful for that love to the end. We, as his loving family, implore you to please wear a mask and do anything you can to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Boylan Funeral Home, Inc., 324 E. Grandview Ave., Zelienople, PA 16063. Expressions of sympathy may be shared with the family at www.boylanfuneralservices.com.

As they say in the ham radio community, when signing off and offering best regards…

73 from KM3B/K3CML.