RICHARD HOYT

HOYT--Richard Palmer, an associate real estate broker, caterer, and snowboard instructor, died on Monday, March 30th, at Mount Sinai West hospital in Manhattan. He was 59. His wife, Debra, and his daughter, Sophie, said the death was unrelated to Covid-19. Rick was a vivacious hobbyist. A lifelong fly fisherman, he wrote haikus in his free time and picked up snowboarding at the age of 40. Most recently, he enjoyed boxing with friends at Gleason's Gym. According to his daughter - who does not care to admit how many games she has lost - Rick was an excellent scrabble player, who managed to commit a majority of the two-letter words to memory. He was also a dedicated lover of the arts. He was a classically trained saxophonist, and throughout his life, he performed in numerous choral groups. Though he wore many (literal and figurative) hats, Rick will be remembered by many as a dapper dresser, who loved to sport color-coordinated suits, which he always completed with bowties and his infectious smile. Rick Hoyt was born in Denver on October 2, 1960, to Charles Richard Hoyt, who was a real estate developer and entrepreneur, and Suzanne (Rice) Hoyt. Like his father, Rick was a fiercely independent entrepreneur who carried himself with a captivating optimism. The youngest of three, Rick grew up in Denver and later moved to Portland, OR, to attend Lewis & Clark College. There, he met Debra Morton, and graduated in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in Music Performance. Debra and Richard Hoyt moved to Brooklyn in 1984, and were married two years later. "We had two sleeping bags that we used until we had enough money to buy a mattress," Debra said, remembering their early days in Brooklyn. "We couldn't afford a phone, so we used the pay phone on the corner. For silverware, we saved fork-spoons from Bojangles." Later they moved to the Upper West Side, where they raised their child, Sophie Palmer Hoyt, who was born in 1997. A loving and generous father and a devoted husband, he prized his family above all else. Rick is survived by his wife and daughter; his mother; his brother, James Rice Hoyt; and his sister, Cynthia Hoyt Kinney. Donations can be made in his name to the New York Blood Center. Rick was an avid supporter of blood and plasma donation, and he would always find time to fit a donation into his busy schedule, encouraging others to do the same.