James Sidney Hockaday

Mr. James Sidney Hockaday, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at the tender age of 100. He was born in Halifax County, North Carolina, on September 10, 1924, to the late James Sidney and the late Minerva Hockaday. He was a "junior" but never used it because his father was also called Sidney. He was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II and served from April 27, 1943, to March 17, 1946. James initially came to South Bend in the early 1950s when his cousin Henry Shaw told him of available work at the Studebaker auto factory. He was hired but shortly thereafter laid off. He returned to Baltimore and found employment at Glenn L Martin Aircraft Company. He returned to South Bend for employment at Oliver, Minneapolis-Moline & Cockshutt which later become White Farm Equipment. James met the love of his life, the late Ruby Williams at a dance at the Palais Royale in South Bend. They married in 1953 and started a family. She preceded him in death on July 4, 2020. From the early 1970s through the mid-1980s he owned and operated Westside Paint & Variety store. He also, for a brief time, operated the H&H Grill which we all lovingly called the Greasy Spoon. Surprisingly, he created a very tasty chicken wing recipe which was the most popular item on his menu. While operating his paint store and his restaurant, he continued to work as a flame cutter at the former Allied Products a division of the South Bend Stamping Company. He retired from Allied in 1989 when he was 65 years old. During his early years of retirement, he volunteered at the St. Augustine Catholic Church Soup Kitchen. He was an avid sports fan who loved watching Notre Dame Football on Saturdays - hosting his own little tailgate in his living room with his sons. He also liked watching and attending baseball games. He loved playing golf and watching March Madness basketball and horseracing with his oldest daughter, Michelle. James was pretty much a jack of all trades and was good at repairing anything around the house. The family learned that he could also reupholster furniture when he took the dining table chairs and did just that. He was somewhat of a barber always cutting his sons hair and he even taught some of his children how to cut hair as well. It was important to James to have a beautiful lush and green lawn, and it gave him great joy to care for and maintain his lawn. Even at his advanced age he still watered his own grass and on occasion he would trim the bushes. There were times when he would just cut his own grass if the Lawn boy (Phillip) took too long to get to it. James loved his family immensely, especially his grand and great grandchildren. Each one of them truly believed that they were his favorite. No one knows who was REALLY his favorite grandchild because he had a way of making each one of them feel special. He opened his home to family whenever needed. When Ruby's niece needed a home where she was loved and taken care of, Ruby went to James and said, "she is coming to live with us;" he simply said "Ok." James was able to maintain his health by eating healthy and exercising daily, something he did till the very end. James is survived by his six children, Lester (Veronica) Hockaday, Michael Hockaday, Michelle Hockaday, Mark (Monique) Hockaday, Sherry (Malcom) Caldwell and Phillip (Patricia) Hockaday; his grand and great grandchildren; his sister, Bertina Watkins of Willingboro, New Jersey; along with many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and neighbors. Along with his parents and wife he was also preceded in death a grand- son, DeCarlo Hockaday; his niece Deborah Kingsberry; his siblings, Leslie Hockaday, John Hockaday, William "Buddy" Hockaday, Minerva "Tiny" Grant, Clara Harvell, Mable Hockaday, Ervin Hockaday and two sisters who passed in infancy. He was a wonderful husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather and friend. He will be missed by all but let us all remember to celebrate his beautiful 100 years of life. He was loved and respected by all who came into contact with him.
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