Robert Francis Hogan Jr.

Robert Francis Hogan Jr. was born in upstate New York in 1937. He was the eldest son of Robert Francis Sr. and Mary Elizabeth (Kerns) Hogan. 

He was part of a large Irish family that consisted of 12 children, and he cherished memories of growing up on his grandparents’ farm in Conklin, New York. Due to the rheumatic fever, his parents relocated the family to Florida, but he would return to his grandparents’ farm in New York often in the summertime.

At 18, he was drafted into the United States Navy for a few years; when he got out he met the love of his life and started his family. In 1966, he re-enlisted in the Navy as a Seabee and did two tours of Vietnam. He was a career military man, moving all over the United States with his family. In 1988 he retired from the service and settled in Van Wert, where he and his wife bought their first and only home. He then worked at Conrad Trucking Inc. for the next 20 years. The last several years of his working career were spent teaching truck driving at Vantage Career School.

He is survived by his three children, Diana (Nova), Ginny, and Christopher; his grandchildren, Tiffany, Ronny, Timothy, Trane, Luci, Zakkery, E’lora and Violet; six great-grandchildren; and his siblings, Ann, Dennis (Sharon), Patty (Kyle), Leslie, Gary (Debbie), Linda (Marty), and Irvene (Dave).

He was preceded in death by his wife of almost 50 years, Charlotte; his eldest son Jay; and four of his younger brothers, Gilbert, Billy, Raymond, and Richard.

The Hogan siblings were huge baseball fans, they would travel all around the country visiting all the Major League Baseball parks over the years. He adored these trips. He was a proud member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5803 in Van Wert. He loved his friends there and they became his second family during the last 10 years. He was also a member of the Disabled American Veterans and the American Legion. He was a hard-working, sometimes harsh, but loving man. He was a man of few words, but would always listen and was sharp as a tack. He was the strongest man we knew, but Covid-19 proved to be stronger.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you do a kindness for a nurse in your life or the amazing ICU nurses at Van Wert Health. They were there to hold his hand when the family could not. Additionally, if you would like make a donation in support of something that Bob enjoyed, you can make one in his name to the VFW Post 5803.

A memorial service in Bob’s honor will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday, September 11, at VFW Post 5803 in Van Wert.

Condolences may be expressed at www.cowanfuneralhome.com.