Gilbert Hoag

Gilbert Hoag passed away peacefully on February 16, 2025, in Greensboro, North Carolina, at the age of 90. He is survived by the mother of his children, Judith Dexter Hoag, his daughter, Kristine Hoag, and granddaughter, Isabel Lord, and predeceased by his son, Timothy Gilbert, and sister, Elizabeth “Betty Lou” Mangelsdorf, and her husband, Clark. Both Kristine and Isabel are lucky enough to live in Gil’s childhood home—though it comes with the responsibility of breaking the news of his passing to the decades-long stream of women who haven’t forgotten about him.

Born to the Honorable Thomas Wood Hoag and Marion Gertrude Walker Hoag in Boston, MA, on April 7, 1934, Gil was considered a genius and an independent spirit from a young age and got his wrists slapped at pedigreed schools across the Northeast including Roxbury Latin, Westtown School, Swarthmore College (which he chose over Harvard, to his father’s dismay) and Boston University, with a stint in the army in between. While at Westtown, he ran a mile in 4.27 minutes, which was only 27 seconds off the Olympic record and remained a school record until recently. To his chagrin and his mother’s great joy, he was a Son of the American Revolution and a member of the Mayflower Society and Saint John’s Masonic Lodge in Boston. (His family was known to say, “Come the revolution, you’ll like it.”)

He received his Masters in Industrial Engineering Management from Northeastern University and was an optical engineer at Itek, where he was in charge of the cameras that took the first photographs of the planet Mars from Viking Landers 1 and 2. In 1975, after he was hired by Southern Optical, he and his family moved to Greensboro, where he would stay for the rest of his life. He made many close friends while in Greensboro, including Marie Ray and Nancy Cameron, and met his second ex-wife, Loretta Cook, there.

He loved news from his nephew Chris Manglesdorf and nieces Louisa Chaisson and Carolyn Manglesdorf, and their families. A devoted father and stepfather, Gil never missed an opportunity for a good laugh—or a prank—and will be fondly remembered by those who were lucky enough to be a part of them. He was a zealous coach of his kids’ traveling soccer teams and spent many summers on the waters in front of family homes in Savin Hill and Boothbay Harbor, cruising along on his Thistle or the canoes he rigged with sails—more than a few times “accidentally” making his way to Boston Logan Airport’s seafront landing strip, giving pilots a good scare (much to his own glee). Gil loved his Husky, Cody, who joined him on adventures from North Carolina to Maine, and many people in his life, as he had more ex-wives than siblings and more girlfriends than his descendants wish to know. Just as notable as his mischievousness and charm was his sweet tooth, and his family hopes that wherever he is now, he has all the sticky buns, molasses cookies, potato chips, and chocolate bars he could ever dream of.

There are a lot of measures to a successful life, but the hearts one touches should be the greatest. Hoist one for Gil! Contributions in memoriam can be made to Westtown School and Forever Husky.

A reception will be held in Boothbay, Maine on June 21st.  Please contact Kristine Hoag at 617.835.4334 for details.