Nathan George Hoey

Nate Hoey passed peacefully on April 30, 2025, at home with loved ones by his side. Nate was a true romantic who always made sure his wife, Becky, drove the best car, and he spent lots of time selecting the perfect presents for her on special occasions. He sometimes came across as serious or gruff, but he had a soft spot for his grandkids and kept mementos tucked away in books and hidden corners from those he loved most.

Nate was born in Richmond, Indiana, February 22, 1942, two years after his sister Toodie, whom he always adored. He had his first job at age ten cleaning car parts at a body shop. After high school, Nate served in the Army and was stationed in Germany working as a heavy equipment mechanic. When he returned to the States, he married and fathered two sons. He later remarried and had twin daughters.

Nate was a machinist his entire life, working for Richmond Gear and then Honeywell. He often held two or three jobs at a time to support his family. He loved classic cars and spent his free time buying old cars to restore and make “fancy” again. Over his lifetime, he owned more than 100 cars and completed major rebuilds on 30–40 of them.

He loved fiercely and was sentimental to the core. He loved cheeseburgers, Indy car racing, and was known to do some drag racing from time to time—mostly legal.

Nate was funny and instilled in all his children a great sense of humor and a love for playing Euchre.

He lived a full, adventurous life. He. Showed. Up.

He was a great man who will be dearly missed by those who loved him. It’s a huge loss to our family, but we know he’s having a ball with those who left before him: Mike Whitley, Mike Kern, Jim Franklin, and his beloved sister, Toodie.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Hospice of the Valley, who provided tremendous care. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://hov.org/donate/__;!!M2D_dUfSiN4E!Oct7hH2aTmOJEthmJ73lgcp5WFzRCqbwDvhkzX4kCNJ8TMPLwJIIm1M-4blz_E5pQqTT-l4z36Sg2Qkk4xCzjueWUA$[hov[.]org]

In the final month of Nate’s life, he rallied. He enjoyed a wonderful month filled with memories and laughter and had the joy of seeing all four of his children together, which made him very happy.

We were blessed to have this time with him, and the world was blessed to have his brand of magic for 83 amazing years