Robert "Bob" Hoxie

As the sun rose on November 18, 2023, Robert “Bob” Hoxie passed away peacefully from a prolonged illness with his family by his side. He was 73 years old.

Born June 3, 1950, to JeanAnn (Couturier) and William Hoxie, Bob was the second oldest of five children and a lifelong resident of Traverse City. He was a graduate of Traverse City Senior (Central) High School and attended Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids. In 2011, Bob retired from Wicksall Distributing where he dutifully drove a delivery truck in the greater Traverse City area for 35 years.

On February 15, 1974, Bob married his love, Suzette (Wicksall) and together they raised their two daughters, Vera, and Molly, in a home they built along the Boardman River. They were fortunate enough to have called this home for 40 years. Throughout their time “on the river” many summertime river parties were hosted, which often included Bob running shuttle for anyone wanting to float down the river and back to the house to enjoy a campfire. He always loved a good campfire.

As an avid outdoorsman, artist, skilled hunter, skier and fisherman, Bob was always at home in the woods or on the water. One of the places Bob truly enjoyed speaking about and absolutely loved to visit was Isle Royale National Park where he relished hiking the trails, canoeing the waters, and viewing wildlife. He had incredible artistic abilities which were obvious in everything he did, whether it be woodworking, landscaping, gardening, or fly tying. Bob quite simply could do it all. He was never one to sit still and was always willing to give a helping hand to anyone who needed it. Bob’s passion for the outdoors and desire to protect the places he loved carried over into countless volunteer hours with the Grand Traverse Conservation District where, over the years, he aided in mitigating erosion sites by planting native trees along the banks of the Boardman River and helped sustain the Brown Bridge Quiet Area after it’s hydro dam removal in 2012. His efforts were also present in constructing numerous fish structures to ensure a healthy trout population for years to come. He valued helping to coordinate various events with Trout Unlimited (Adams Chapter), of which he was a proud member for many years.

Always a great conversationalist, Bob enjoyed talking to just about anyone, and always loved getting the inside scoop on what fish were biting or who shot the big buck. His quick wittiness and dry sense of humor will be missed by all who had the pleasure of experiencing it.

Bob is survived and dearly missed by his wife of 49 years, Suzette; daughters, Molly (Brandon) Steck and Vera Hoxie; sister, Theresa (John) Guinta; brothers, Scott and Billy Hoxie; granddaughter, Olivia Campbell; grandson, Jacob Hoxie, and numerous nieces and nephews.

He is predeceased in death by his parents, JeanAnn and William; brother, Greg; brother-in-law, John, and several great hunting dogs.

A Celebration of life will be held 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Saturday, June 8, 2024 at the Boardman River Nature Center, 1450 Cass Rd.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, please consider donating resources or volunteering time to the Grand Traverse Conservation District or Trout Unlimited. Bob would really get a kick out of that.

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