Norene Pearl Hokett

Today, after 85 years on this earth, God called home a gracious loving lady, Norene Murphey Hokett. She was a treasured professor of speech communication at California Baptist University for forty years. She began and directed the Speech and Debate team where her love for the forensics activity was instilled in hundreds of students. Her gift of humor and storytelling was brought to life in her book “Main Street was Two Blocks Long” documenting her childhood years growing up in Carnegie, Oklahoma. She loved to travel, enjoyed cooking, writing, reading endlessly and of course, coaching the many speech team students that represented California Baptist University. Her passion was teaching and this gift she shared with generations of students. She was a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and received her master’s degree in Speech Communication from Texas Women’s University (now Texas Christian University). She taught English and Drama at Eastern Hills High School in Fort Worth, Texas and Fort Collins High School before moving to Riverside in 1967.

Norene is preceded in death by husband, Donald Wayne Hokett, whom she was married to for 45 years. Donald Hokett was the registrar at California Baptist University for 25 years. Her parents were Grace Gibson and Robert Jefferson Murphey of Carnegie, Oklahoma. She is survived by her daughter, Dewi Hokett, of San Marcos.

Funeral service and reception will be held at Acheson and Graham Garden of Prayer in Riverside on Sunday, June 3rd at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers please send donations in support of future college Speech Competitors. Checks should be made out to California Baptist University with the memo line Norene Hokett Memorial Scholarship Fund, at 8432 Magnolia Avenue Riverside, California 92504.