Richard Daniel Hockaday

Rick Hockaday (1957-2025) passed away on December 12, 2025, at Wilson Health - Sidney, after struggling with congestive heart failure. Rick was born in Dayton, Ohio and raised by his mother, Zelda (Boggs) Hockaday, and father, Richard Hockaday, alongside his sister (Teri (Hockaday) Klikovits) and two brothers (Greg and Mike Hockaday). 

He married Luann (Smith) Hockaday on May 31, 1980. Rick started a business, Hockaday Collision Repair, in 1983 the same year his first daughter, Kelly (Hockaday) Wentland, was born. He and his wife welcomed their second daughter, Katie (Hockaday) Casares, home in 1986. Rick ran his repair shop until February of 2025 when he retired and sold the shop location to a very dear friend, Nathan Burns. He took great satisfaction in knowing that the place he put his heart and soul into would be taken over by someone he greatly respected and viewed like a son. His favorite part of retirement was snow birding in Florida with Luann.

Rick loved many people and things, including his family, friends, golf, cars, and music. Perhaps one of the largest soft spots in his heart, though, was for the many animals he cared for over the years, including a horse colt he helped to deliver. No animal carried as great a space in his heart as his little yorkie, Lexi, who passed away just 2 years ago. While Lexi lived, she and Rick were attached at the hip, riding to the bank, doing errands, and taking quiet walks in Tawawa Park. She became such a great part of his identity that for a while you may have seen her on billboards around Sidney for his collision repair shop. While this is, of course, a very hard time for the family, one comfort is knowing that Lexi will be waiting on the rainbow bridge never to part from Rick again.

Rick is survived by his mother, Zelda, brothers (Greg and Mike), and sister (Teri); his wife of 45 years, Luann; his children (their spouses), Kelly (Scott) and Katie (David); and his grandchildren, Holly, Zoe, and Charlotte. He was preceded in death by his father, Richard (Rick) Hockaday.

A visitation will be held on Tuesday - December 16, 2025, from 12PM until the time of the funeral service at 3:30PM, with Father John Tonkin, at Salm - McGill & Tangeman Funeral Home - Sidney. Friends and family are welcome to attend the graveside service at 9:30 AM at Graceland Cemetery, on Wednesday - December 17, 2025.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St. Jude’s’s Children’s Research Hospital or the American Heart Association. Salm - McGill & Tangeman Funeral Home is honored to serve the Hockaday Family.