Richard J. Hoskinson

A funeral service, celebrating the life of Richard J Hoskinson, 78, of Zanesville, formerly of Gratiot, will be held Friday, August 31, 2012 at 11:00 A.M. at the Kirkersville home of The Hoskinson Funeral & Cremation Service with Pastor Brian Harkness as celebrant. Burial with full military honors by the Licking County Veterans Alliance will follow at Poplar Fork Cemetery in Gratiot.Dick died Monday, August 27, 2012, following an extended illness. He was born March 20, 1934, in Brownsville, the son of Helen V (Kreager) Hoskinson of Zanesville and the late James Edgar Ike Hoskinson, who died in July , 1966.He was a 1951 graduate of Hopewell H.S. and attended Ohio University. He served honorably in the US Army. Dick worked for Kaiser Aluminum in Heath for 34 years, retiring in the fall of 1987 as the Sales Service Manager. Following his retirement, he operated Hoskinsons Flowers in Heath and The Downtown Deli in Zanesville. He also loved helping Rick at the funeral home while his health allowed it.An active member of the Gratiot Community, he was a lifelong member of Gratiot United Methodist Church, Jackson Lodge #85 F. & A. M. where he served as worshipful master in 1965, and was a three-term member of the West Muskingum School Board, and two-term member of the Mid-East Career and Vocational Center. He also belonged to the Hopewell Post of the American Legion, and was a former member of the Muirfield Village Golf club at Dublin.In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by his wife, Lois Ann (Sterrett) in January of 2008, along with his much loved uncle Lt. Col. Howard M. Kreager in 2007.He is survived by his loving family, which in addition to his mother, includes, his children: Beth (Ralph) Rose, Rick and Jim (Susan) Hoskinson; grandsons: Ryan (Cassie) Rose, C.J. and Drew Hoskinson; his aunts Mary Cole and Trudy Kondrath ; several cousins including Gary (Betty) Hoskinson. Extended family includes brothers-in-law Ron (Mary Jane) Sterrett, Gary (Penny) Sterrett, Lois Easton (Mrs. Richard Sterrett) and family friends Mark Pinnick and Linda(Dave) Shields of whom Dick considered Linda to be just like a sister to me;along with his life-long friend Maralou Campbell.The family will receive friends on Thursday, August 30, 2012 from 5-8 PM,(with Masonic services at 8:00 PM), at the Kirkersville home of The HOSKINSON Funeral & Cremation Service, 285 E Main St. in Kirkersville, where an on-line guest register and video tribute to Dick are available at www.hoskinsonfuneral.com.The family would like to thank with much love and appreciation the many kindnesses shown to Dick in these past months by the caring staff at The Helen Purcell Home, especially Chris and Cecilia, whose acts of kindness and love will never be forgotten, and are gratefully acknowledged.