Jonathan Edwin Hostetter

1931 - 2020

Jonathan Edwin Hostetter

J. Edwin Hostetter, a resident of Northwood, Ohio, left this earth for heaven on March 1st, 2020 to see his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, face to face. Ed passed away peacefully at the Hospice of Northwest Ohio facility, in Perrysburg, with family members at his side.

Ed was born on February 28th, 1931, to Benjamin and Martha Hostetter in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus was a temporary location for the family, as Ed's parents had recently returned from India, where they had served as missionaries in the 1920's. Ed's older brothers were born in India, while Ed was the first of his siblings born in the U.S.

Most of Ed's boyhood was spent in East Stroudsburg, PA, and upon high school graduation in 1948, he attended Houghton College in western NY, where he majored in mathematics, and where he met his wife of over 65 years, Frances Helen Bassett. They were married in Fran's hometown, Interlaken, NY on April 4th, 1953.

After serving in the U.S. Army, Ed landed a mathematics teaching job at Haverstraw High School, in Haverstraw, NY. He later became head of the math department and then held administrative positions within the North Rockland School District leadership team.

From 1955 to 1973, the family resided in New City, NY, and Ed and Fran were blessed with five children, Ruth, Ed Jr., Suzanne, Tim, and Carol. Then, in 1973, the family moved to Pleasant Valley, NY, as Ed had taken a job as Supervisor of Adult Programs at Dutchess County BOCES in Poughkeepsie, NY. Under Ed's leadership, the continuing education programs in Dutchess County flourished, and received state and national recognition. After retiring from public school administration, Ed served as principal of Tabernacle Christian Academy for several years.

As Ed got older, his faith and personal relationship with Jesus Christ grew stronger. In fact, his last outing, two days before his hospitalization, was to teach a Bible study at the Gardens of St. Francis in Oregon, Ohio. He mustered his remaining strength to fulfill that weekly commitment!

Over the years, Ed held leadership positions in the churches he attended, but his most cherished church involvements were related to music. As a youngster, he loved to sing and play the trumpet, and in college he toured with a brass and vocal quartet, and a trumpet trio. He loved singing in or directing a choir, and serving as a worship leader, which he did for many years at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Poughkeepsie, NY.

In addition to musical interests, Ed participated in a number of activities that included competing in 5K's, stamp collecting, and tutoring in all levels of high school math. The family believes that Ed's dedication to long-distance running largely served to justify his love for a daily dose of pie with ice cream.

Ed was predeceased by his wife, Fran (2019); and by his brothers, David (2014) and Albert (2019). Ed always had a deep love and commitment to his family and friends. He is survived by his five children, Ruth (Denis) Nietz of Northwood, OH, Ed (Babette) Hostetter, Jr. of Pleasant Valley, NY, Suzanne Duryee (Brett) of Colorado Springs, CO, Tim (Barbara) Hostetter of Hyde Park, NY, Carol (James) Phillips of Newburgh, NY; his fourteen grandchildren; and his eight great-grandchildren.

The family will receive visitors on Friday, March 6th, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and also on Saturday, March 7th from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. A memorial service to celebrate Ed's life will be held at 11:00 a.m. followed by a luncheon for family, friends, and guests. All gatherings will be at the Hoeflinger-Shank Funeral Home, 3500 Navarre Ave., Oregon, OH. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Ed Hostetter may be sent to Tabernacle Christian Academy, 155 Academy St., Poughkeepsie, NY.

The family would like to express heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the staff in the ICU and Progressive Care units at St. Charles Hospital in Oregon, OH for the outstanding and compassionate care that Ed received in February, and to the Hospice of Northwest Ohio team for their love and support during Ed's final hours. Online condolences may be left at www.Hoeflingerfuneralhome.com