Clyde Edward Hoekema

Clyde Edward Hoekema, 82, passed away on Friday, July 3, 2015 at Luther Park in Sandpoint, Idaho. Funeral Services will be conducted at 11:00 am on Saturday, July 11, 2015 in Coffelt’s Funeral Chapel with Dale Coffelt officiating. Interment will take place in Pinecrest Memorial Park. Clyde was born in Spokane, WA on June 25, 1933 to Claude Andle Hoekema and Charlotte “Grace” Moriarity. His father came from Holland on a cattle boat at the age of 16. His mother’s family came to Spokane in a covered wagon. Claude and Grace moved their family to Bonner County when Clyde was a young boy and he attended area schools here. Clyde proudly joined the Army like his father and elder brothers and was stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington State. He drove heavy trucks and marched in the movie, “To Hell and Back” starring Audie Murphy while stationed there. Clyde met Ruth Laverne Smith from the Dufort area and they were very happily married for nearly 55 years when she passed away in 2011. Clyde and Ruth had three children together and added a young Larry Mozel into the big, happy family at an early age and considered him a son. Clyde was a man who dearly loved his family and friends and lived his life with integrity, honesty and hard work with lots of fun thrown in too. He taught his children well with his good actions and constant help to others. Clyde’s working career was also his passion and it involved trucks and driving. He drove logging trucks, long-haul trucks and dump trucks. Some of his employers included James J. Williams, United Buckingham, Diamond International and Normco. He traveled all over the United States and Canada and truly loved it. He enjoyed driving on his days off too…every highway, dirt road and small path were explored, often more than once! He was an excellent mechanic and enjoyed puttering on anything with a motor and wheels. In his later life he also enjoyed woodworking, building many bird houses, bird feeders, squirrel feeders and trellises. In the spring of 2013, Clyde met a special friend named Mary Olive Johns and they formed a close companionship. They shared many laughs and enjoyed each other’s company and just sitting together holding hands. Mary and her family have been a welcome addition to our family. Clyde was preceded in death by his loving wife Ruth, his daughter Nita, is brother Don and his parents. He is survived by his daughter Nadine and her husband Dan, his son Mark and his wife Melinda and his son Larry and his wife Stephanie. Clyde’s surviving siblings are his brother Roy and wife Patti, brother Stan and wife Emeryl, brother Cliff and wife Judie, brother Allen, his sister Claudia and her husband Tom and a great number of nieces and nephew. Clyde is also survived by his grandchildren Josh, Sarah, Bethany, Bryce, Emily and Jacob. His great grandchildren Adrian, Kaitlin, Spring, Canyon, Scout, Arbor, Tyler, Paige, and Kiah. He also has one great great granddaughter Aliyah Grace. He loved each and every one of these children and was extremely proud of them all. Clyde had some words to live by and that he told us at every visit: “Just go and have some fun!!!”