Joyce Oliphant Hoggan

Joyce Oliphant Hoggan, aged 86, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, niece and cousin, passed away on Thursday, February 4, 2016, while traveling in Salinas, California, due to complications of brain injury after a fall. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Mrs. Hoggan graduated from South High School before attending the University of Utah, where she met her future husband, Dave Hoggan.

The couple was married in the Salt Lake City Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on May 20, 1950. Their life continued in Salt Lake until a call to active duty in the U.S. Army took them to the Presidio, San Francisco, California, where their son was born. The young family was then re-assigned to Baltimore, Maryland, before their next assignment took them to Washington, D.C., where their daughter was born. A transfer to the U.S. Public Health Service allowed the family to settle outside the Nation's Capital, and Joyce and her husband enjoyed nearly five decades in Maryland, making many lifetime friends there.

While her children were in school, Mrs. Hoggan completed her degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of Maryland (U of Md) after which she began teaching in several elementary schools in Montgomery County, Maryland.  While teaching, Joyce received her Masters plus 30 degree, also at the U of Md. The last years of her primary school teaching were in the kindergarten of Potomac Elementary School, Potomac, Maryland. Mrs. Hoggan taught gifted and disadvantaged children during her long career, a challenging mix that Joyce found particularly fulfilling as she loved all her students, whether from humble non-English-speaking homes or multi-language diplomatic families.

Joyce was known by her family and friends as feisty, funny, direct, and generous, whose impressive talents as a hostess, baker, seamstress and homemaker will always be remembered with joy.  Joyce was an earnest sports fan, following a wide interest in college and professional sports. Active in her LDS faith, she approached every church calling and assignment with enthusiasm and dedication.  Joyce participated as a proud member of two heritage societies, the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.), and the International Society Daughters of Utah Pioneers (I.S.D.U.P.).

In retirement, Joyce and Dave embarked on their favorite international travel adventure, teaching for three years at Zhejiang Medical University in Hangzhou, China, through Brigham Young University's Kennedy International Center. Since 2008, Joyce and her husband have made their winter home on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where they have many friends, and their summer residence in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Mrs. Hoggan was preceded in death by her parents John Arden and Annie Lucile Peck Gold Oliphant; a brother and sister-in-law, E. Wheeler and Carole Lake Oliphant; brother, Roger A. (Diane) Oliphant; brother-in-law Carl L. Betts; brother-in-law Vernon S. Larsen, and sister-in-law Carolyn H. Larsen, who died two days before Joyce, also in Salinas, CA; nephews Blair Cyrus Oliphant and Arden Lee Oliphant; and grand-niece Emma LeSueur Cunningham.

Joyce leaves behind her loving husband of nearly 66 years, Dr. M. David "Dave" Hoggan, Corolla, North Carolina and Salt Lake City, Utah; her son, David A. (Fatima) Hoggan, Vienna, Virginia; daughter Melissa "Missy" H. Groppel, Corolla, North Carolina; granddaughters, Roxanne Hoggan and Lila Hoggan; sister Janice Oliphant Betts (Kent) Bennion; brother Lincoln C. (Donna) Oliphant; many first, second, and third-generation nieces and nephews; three younger aunts; many cousins; and many friends including multiple "adopted" Chinese medical students, who now practice medicine in the United States and throughout the world.

Arrangements for Mrs. Hoggan are by Holbrook Mortuary. Family and friends are invited to a funeral service to be held on Saturday, 20 February, 11:00 a.m. at the Holbrook Mortuary Chapel, 3251 S 2300 E, Salt Lake City, followed by interment at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park. Visitation with the family to be held at Holbrook on Friday evening, 19 February, 6:00­-8:00 p.m., and prior to Saturday's service, 9:30­-10:30 a.m. Expressions of tribute to Mrs. Hoggan may be directed to the Organization for Autism Research, www.researchautism.org.

Click below to listen to the funeral service. Available until May 20, 2016.