John Duane Hoverkamp

1946 - 2023

John Duane Hoverkamp was born in Staten Island, NY, on April 19, 1946, to Adella Eileen (Hawk) and Robert Sylvester Hoverkamp. When he was six months old, his family moved to Massillon, Ohio, where Duane, as he was known to friends and family, would live for the entirety of his childhood and adolescence. After graduating high school in 1964, having served as senior class president, Duane enrolled in the Georgia Institute of Technology with a major in Aerospace Engineering. There, he met his wife of 54 years, Mary Melinda (Kuhl) Hoverkamp, who attended St. Joseph's Infirmary Nursing School. The two dated for three years before marrying on June 22, 1968, the week after Lindy graduated from her nursing program. The following week, Duane and Lindy packed up everything they owned and moved to Huntsville, Alabama, for Duane to begin his career for NASA. Starting in 1968, he worked as a Systems
Engineer for NASA under the leadership of Wernher von Braun, focusing on the Skylab missions, the first United States space station. At night, Duane and his wife could watch Skylab flicker across the sky.

Duane decided to transition away from NASA in 1974. The Hoverkamp family settled in Augusta, Georgia, Christmas 1975 with their two children, Robbie and Annie. In Augusta, Duane worked as the Director of Management Engineering for the Medical College of Georgia before becoming the Surgery Clinical Science Department Manager. He also acted as an Instructor in Business at Augusta University, even handing his son, Robert, his diploma at graduation. Duane witnessed the marriages of both of his children and acted as best man at his son Robert's wedding. After retirement, he and Lindy spent most of their time at the lake, where he "played with his toys," an excavator and a tractor.

Duane was a father, grandfather, engineer, friend, and much more. He passed away on
March 10, 2023. He is survived by his wife, Lindy, along with two children – Anne Osbon (Mike) and Robert Hoverkamp (Laurel) – and five grandchildren – Benjamin Hoverkamp, Madeline Hoverkamp, Mary Caroline Hoverkamp, Brice Osbon, and Wade Osbon.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, an organization Duane supported for much of his life. His family will begin receiving guests at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church on Friday, March 24th and the funeral mass will follow at 11:00 a.m. The internment will be held immediately after mass. St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church is located at 1420 Monte Sano Ave, Augusta, GA.

Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907 (706) 364-8484. Please sign the guestbook at www.thomaspoteet.com