Milo Gene Hockett

Milo Gene Hockett was born into the home of M. Buel and Mabel (McNichols) Hockett September 4, 1929 in Burr Oak, Kansas, joining two sisters, Beth and Leta. He received the name Milo from his father, but the family chose to call him by his middle name, Gene. Later he went by the name M. Gene Hockett, except for legal documents when he had to use his first name. Gene attended his first two years of school in a one-room schoolhouse in Kansas. His family then moved to Greenleaf, Idaho. He completed grade school at Greenleaf and then high school at Greenleaf Friends Academy, graduating in 1947. It was during these years Gene became involved in leadership and ministry opportunities. His family was active in the Greenleaf Friends Church. In his high school years Gene became the president of the church youth group, was asked to speak in a Sunday evening church service and sang tenor in the academy quartet. Singing in the quartet gave him experience of going to other churches, opportunities to share his testimony and involvement in a wider circle of Christian ministry. Following high school graduation, Gene spent the summer with a Pacific College quartet in Talent, Oregon, serving as pastors for the Friends Church. This began his three years of singing in quartets during his college days, including traveling one summer with the Crusaders quartet representing the college. Music was an important part of his college life as he also sang in the choir. His senior year he served as assistant pastor and choir director for the Lents Friends Church in Portland, Oregon. Gene was also active in sports. He played football, baseball, and his favorite sport, basketball. Graduating from college in 1951 Gene worked on farms in Idaho for the summer before his marriage to Betty May Street on September 7, 1951 in Portland, Oregon. Gene and Betty made their first home in college housing in Newberg while Betty finished her last year of college and Gene worked in the local Safeway store. Gene also served as assistant pastor of the Forest Home Friends Church in Camas, Washington. In the Fall of 1952 Gene enrolled in Western Evangelical Seminary, now Portland Seminary, to begin his training for the pastorate. He also became the assistant pastor at Piedmont Friends Church where he served for two years. During his middle year of seminary Gene was asked to serve as the first pastor for a new Friends church in Metolius, Oregon. He and Betty commuted on weekends from Portland to Metolius during his senior year. Because of the added pastoral responsibilities, Gene postponed his seminary thesis for a year and graduated from seminary in 1956. Gene served as pastor of the Metolius Friends Community Church for eight years. During that time the congregation purchased a house for a parsonage, purchased property and built a church building. The attendance grew during this time, reaching many families in the community. In the summer of 1962 Gene accepted a call to become pastor of the West Chehalem Friends Church near Newberg, Oregon. He served there as pastor until the summer of 1969. The attendance increased during this time and the congregation built an expansion to the sanctuary. George Fox College, now George Fox University, invited Gene to become the first full time Executive Director of Alumni, a position he accepted in the summer of 1969. He served at George Fox College as Alumni Director, Alumni and Church Relations Director and Parents Relations Director for the next fifteen years. During this time the Alumni Association was reorganized, and a board of directors was named. Gene guided the Alumni Board of Directors and later the Parents Board of Directors. He traveled extensively, representing the college in churches, church related conferences, alumni and college promotional dinners. He also selected and scheduled music groups to represent the college during the summers. It was under his leadership that the music group Dayspring began. Gene left George Fox College in the summer of 1984 and shortly thereafter became the Western Regional Director for World Gospel Mission, where he served for the next 10 years. Gene led more than 20 work teams to various mission fields of WGM including Honduras, Mexico, Kenya, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Hungary and inner-city locations within the U.S.A., as well as ministry trips to England and Northern Ireland. Following Gene’s retirement from WGM, Gene and Betty moved to the Friendsview Retirement Community in the summer of 1998. During retirement Gene worked part-time for Attrell’s Funeral Chapel in Newberg. He enjoyed this job and considered it as a ministry. On November 1, 2019 Gene passed away in Newberg, Oregon. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Betty (Street) Hockett of Newberg; children, Steve (Eloise) Hockett, Christine (Jeff) Stanfield, Susan Hockett; four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Gene was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters. Memorial contributions can be made to World Gospel Mission (WGM) – Member Health Department, for care of missionaries. Contributions designated in memory of Gene Hockett can be sent to WGM at PO Box 948, Marion, IN 46952.

Milo Gene Hockett

September 4, 1929 - November 1, 2019