Joan Elizabeth Gibson Hocker was born in Wilmington Delaware January 8th, 1931. She grew up on 19th street with 2 Brothers Larry and Jack. Against her parents Esther and Lawrence’s wishes, Joan would venture down by the Brandywine River and walk along the walls of the Millrace. Fun, energetic, independent and adventurous characteristics “served” her well throughout a long and spirited life. From a very early age, neighbors and friends were drawn to Joan and her zestful energy. Roller skating at a local indoor rink with her friend Jane (Hocker) was one of her favorite hobbies.
When Jane’s older Brother Robert returned from the war (and surviving 30 missions flown over Germany as a B-17 gunner), he was immediately drawn to his Sister’s friend Joan. An intelligent man he was, he offered to take his sister and Joan to the skating rink. Not long after, Joan and Robert (Bob) were married, and moved into the Lancaster Court apartments where Stephen Robert Hocker was born. Bob finished his Master’s and PHD, and with Joan’s intelligent and adventurous guidance, they moved to the suburbs into one of the first homes built in Heritage Park in 1962. In 1964, they had a second Son Andrew Gibson Hocker, who always wanted to emulate his older Brother by sneaking into his closet and taking his tennis balls and racquet. Joan’s upbeat energy and passion for people was a perfect match for tennis, so after seeing two boys enjoy the game, she gave it a try and fell in love with the game.
She went on to work part-time at Christiana Millcreek Indoor Tennis, followed by 15 years as the Tennis Pro Shop manager at The DuPont Country Club and Treasurer of The Delaware Tennis Association. She religiously played tennis at least twice a week and organized her groups of players and their schedules for many decades. On top of that, she was managing her husband Bob’s dementia for over a decade until he passed in 2020 at age 95. Joan’s energy, strength and genuine love of life and others was unmatched, as she continued to live (surrounded by incredible neighbors) in Heritage Park, play tennis and organize her groups until age 92 when physical challenges caused her to unfortunately put her racquet down. Her incredible drive, love for family, shopping at Boscov’s, and a spirited character helped her through many challenges of 2023 and into 2024. On April 27th 2024, Joan passed away peacefully while under medical supervision at Riddle Hospital in Media.
A Memorial Service / Celebration of Life will be held for Joan E. Hocker on Friday July 26th, visitation beginning at 10:00 am followed by the service at 11am at Limestone Presbyterian Church, located at 3201 Limestone Rd in Wilmington, DE. All those who knew her are welcome to join family and friends for the service. A portion of the service will include a time for friends/family to share their stories about Joan. Following the service, there will be food and light refreshments in the downstairs community room of Limestone Church. For those unable to attend the service, it will be streamed live through Limestone Presbyterian Church’s website (www.limestonepresbyterian.org). In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the church address.
