Patricia Hoyer

Patricia R. “Patsy” Hoyer, born October 17th 1947, passed away peacefully on August 9th at her home in Indianapolis surrounded by her family. Throughout her remarkable 74 year life she was a tireless advocate for making her community a better and stronger place, a stalwart supporter of women’s rights, and a champion for the underrepresented and underprivileged. More personally, she was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother who cared deeply for her family. She will be sorely missed. A nurse practitioner by vocation, Patsy made West Lafayette her home for 30 years before retiring to Indianapolis to be closer to her children and grandchildren. During her time in West Lafayette, she helped run the Community Health Clinic, treated patients in the Arnett Clinic’s Otterbein Branch, and finished her career at the Clinic working side-by-side with her husband Dr. Scott Hoyer. She went above and beyond to assist her patients, including an ailing veteran who, after previously struggling to receive the support he needed, commented “Now I know the difference having a good lawyer (advocate) can make.” Patsy also volunteered with a number of community organizations, including the League of Women’s Voters, where she was co-President for the state of Indiana. She also raised thousands of dollars for charities via “Chicks with Checks,” which she founded and combined her love of philanthropy and entertaining. Patsy was also an active supporter of Democratic politics. She believed strongly in a woman’s right to choose, fair elections, and using the power of good government to make our communities and country stronger. When she wasn’t serving her patients or community, Patsy could be found shuttling her kids to practices, attending their sporting events, working in the yard, or, in her spare time, curling up with a good mystery novel. In her later years she doted lovingly on her seven grandchildren. Though in the last years of her life Patsy faced the challenges of living with metastatic breast cancer, she approached this burden and the hardships it brought without complaint. Instead of thinking of her own wellbeing, she focused her energy on her husband and family. Facing a prognosis of only eight months, she lived for four years. Patsy is preceded in death by her mother and father, June and Wilson Reed and stepmother Maureen Reed. She is survived by her husband Scott, sons Scott (Mimi) and Reed (Jenny), daughter Lyn (Irshaid)Altayeb, seven grandchildren - Wilson, Walter, Penelope, Conrad, Noor, Jude, and Roland - and sister June Reed. Services will be held at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis at 2:00 on Friday, August 19th. At Patsy’s request, the services will be for close family members only. A Celebration of Life will be held in Lafayette on Sunday, October 16th. In lieu of flowers, please do what Patsy would be doing: stand up for someone, help those in need, show compassion to a stranger, volunteer, and try to make the world a better place. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.crownhill.org for the Hoyer family.