James Henry Hoyak

He was born on the 9th of March 1932 in Bryan, Texas to Henry Jacob Hoyak and Anne Langer, both now deceased.

Jim graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School in Bryan, Texas in 1949 and The University of Texas, Austin in 1954, with a degree in Business Administration. He proudly served in the US Army in Kaiserslautern, Germany from 1955 to 1956.

Fresh from his military service, Jim worked for Continental Oil Company in the marketing and real estate division. In the early 1970’s, Jim purchased Marsh Distributing, a Wholesale Petroleum Company, and has been the sole proprietor ever since. Other business interests included buying and selling commercial real estate, watches, jewelry and automobiles. Jim’s was a life of multiple business ventures and many varied business partnerships. He was a past member of the Texas Oil Marketers Association and a loyal Longhorn to the end.

As a young man, Jim rode motorcycles and flew airplanes but a severely fractured leg quelled his adventuresome streak. Jim’s passion then became golf; he was a long time member of Lochinvar Golf Club. In his younger years, he carried a set of clubs in his car and whenever he saw a golf course he would stop and play. Jim also loved to travel and play golf around the world, but Pebble Beach was his favorite and the site of an annual pilgrimage. He loved to tell a story.

He is preceded in death by his sister Patricia Anne Watson and her husband Ernest Watson. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Susan Hoyak; their children, Leah Jones and Michele Kearns; son-in laws, Mr. Michael Jones and Dr. Richard Kearns and grandchildren, Ian Kearns, Kiley Jones and Connor Jones. He is also survived by his nieces Celia Kilgore and her husband Mark and their children, Patti Fischer, her husband Stephen and their children, plus numerous other relatives and loyal friends.

The family would like to thank the tireless efforts of Dr. Charles Koller, Lee Zosa and Katie Kennon. The family would also like to thank Dr. Michael J. Mihalick and Dr. Jim Muntz.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o’clock in the afternoon until seven o’clock in the evening on Tuesday, the 15th of February, in the Library and Grand Foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

The funeral service is to be conducted at ten o’clock in the morning on Wednesday, the 16th of February, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons. Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception in the adjacent Grand Foyer.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests that contributions in Jim’s name be directed to the James H. Hoyak Leukemia Research Foundation at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, P. O. Box 4486, Houston, TX, 77210.