Hildegard "Hildy" Etzkorn

Hildegard (Hildy) Garve Etzkorn, 91 years old, died peacefully in her sleep on July 11, 2022, in Jacksonville, Florida, where she was in memory care. Prior to the onset of dementia, she lived most of her life in St. Louis, Missouri.

Born in Columbus, Ohio. She was the third daughter of Elizabeth Fell Garve and T. Walter Garve, a noted ceramic engineer. She graduated high school from Olney Friends School, in Barnesville, Ohio, earned her BS from The Ohio State University and earned her graduate degree from the University of Nevada, Reno. During her graduate research at the University of Nevada, Reno, found there was no effect on a child’s development if his or her mother was employed outside of the house versus stayed at home.

Hildy retired as a Family and Child Development Specialist with the University of Missouri. Earlier, she taught Sociology at Fontbone University and St. Louis County Community College. Before moving to St. Louis in 1969, she was an Assistant Professor of Sociology, at California State University—Northridge. Between college and graduate school, she taught high school science, including in Havre de Grace, Maryland, where she helped coach a state champion girls’ varsity basketball team.

Hildy also volunteered at Opera Theatre Saint Louis and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. She was a member of the Woman’s Club of St. Louis.

Her husband of 49 years and eleven months, K. Peter Etzkorn, a professor emeritus of Sociology and Ethnomusicology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, predeceased her. As did her grandson, Avery Etzkorn. She is survived by a son, Dr. Kyle Etzkorn, daughter-in-law, Dr. Lorraine Rodriguez, and grandchild, Maximilian Etzkorn, of Jacksonville, Florida; and a son, Lars Etzkorn, and son-in-law, Gregory Hoss, of the District of Columbia.