Gary M. Hock

Gary M. Hock, age 68, of Santa Barbara, Ca., and formerly of Bloomsburg, passed away peacefully at his home Thurs., October 24, 2013 after a lengthy illness.

Born in Bloomsburg, Pa. on October 27, 1944, he was a son of the late Horace H. “Tinker” and Thelma D. (Wood) Hock. He was educated in the Central Columbia District and Bloomsburg High  Schools.

In the 1970s Gary purchased a gas station. He then developed a small community of town homes. From this humble beginning, he excelled in a career that spanned nearly four decades.

Throughout the 1970s, Gary operated a lumberyard and developed nearly two dozen small service offices for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Beginning with a new service center for Reliance Insurance, Harrisburg, Gary was brought to Durham, N.C. in 1980. Opportunities were not just limited to Durham, however, with expansions in Charlotte, N.C. and Earth City - a small suburb of St. Louis, Mo.

By the early 1990s, Gary began the mixed use development of Independence Park, located in Durham, N.C. Independence Park became the focal point for development in Durham County - an achievement that still holds today.

Beginning with significant engagements with the Duke University System, Gary diversified into the commercial office sector for what would come to define his career. Admirable medical developments included practitioner offices and nearly half a million square feet of mixed-use facilities at Hock Plaza. Gary also focused on regional charter schools, in which development is still occurring today.

Gary and his wife Lyn had recently built a home in the hills of Santa Barbara, Ca.

Gary was a thoughtful and generous philanthropist who supported a number important organizations and causes in California, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

While the physical accomplishments are significant, more enduring are the memories and bonds of friendship that were forged during Gary’s unique life.

Surviving is his wife, friend and partner of over 20 years, the former Evelyn “Lyn” Proctor, at home; four children: Michael P. Hock, Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Dax Hock, wife Susan, Austin, Tx.; Tanner Hock, wife Mimi, Chapel Hill, N.C. and Michelle Hock, Santa Barbara, Ca.; three grandsons: Sage, Blake and Tristen Hock; two granddaughters: Sabine and Tinsley Hock; three siblings: Terry W. Hock, wife Patti, Bloomsburg; Timothy J. Hock, N.C. and Dolores I., wife of Richard Nichols, Bloomsburg; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by a sister, Dixie M. Bardo.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. in the Dean W. Kriner, Inc. Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 325 Market Street, Bloomsburg, with Rev. Dr. Gary D. Weaver, pastor of Wesley United Methodist Church, Bloomsburg, officiating. Friends may call at the funeral home from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. Interment will be private at the convenience of the family.

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Causes and Organizations Gary donated to:

PA Flood Victims - Bloomsburg, PA
Duke Eye Center - Durham, NC
Dept. of Radiation Oncology - Duke Hospital
Dept. of Surgery - Duke Hospital
Voyager Charter School - Durham, NC
Duke School of Medicine - Durham, NC
Durham County Habitat for Humanity
Dept. of Community and Family Medicine - Walltown Clinic, Duke Hospital
Genesis Home - Durham, NC
Animal Protection Society of Durham
Duke Health Community Care - Durham, NC
North Carolina Central University - Durham, NC
Patrick Henry Boys and Girls School - Brookneal, VA
Gary Hock Family Surgery Professorship - Duke Hospital
Patient Care Simulation Lab at Cottage Hospital - Santa Barbara, CA
Food Bank of Santa Barbara
Neighborhood Christian Center - Bloomsburg, PA
Visiting Nurses and Hospice Care of Santa Barbara
Columbia County Christian School - Bloomsburg, PA
Wesley United Methodist Church - Bloomsburg, PA
Santa Maria Valley Humane Society - Santa Maria, CA
Hock Family Pavilion, Duke Hospice - Durham, NC
Oxford Manor Computing Center - Durham, NC
Oxford Manor Christmas Fund - Durham, NC
Elon College Vision Campaign - Elon, NC
Elon University - Elon, NC
Heart Catheterization Lab - Kenya, Africa
Duke Global Health - Duke Hospital