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Colin Charles Hoekema - Class of 2000

Submitted by Pauline Rute Hall <Grammypgh@aol.com> on 23/Mar/2014
64.12.116.20

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  Colin Charles Hoekema, of Newburgh, died at home on Saturday, March 15, 2014, following a long struggle with addiction. Born November 5, 1982, he was 31. He is survived by his father Jim Hoekema of Newburgh; his mother Laura Vellenga and sister Kristin Zandstra, both of Seattle; his second mother Wendy Taylor of Annapolis; and his brother Sanford Worth and sister Emma Worth, both of Phoenix, as well as numerous uncles, aunts, and cousins. Born in Salt Lake City, he grew up in Frederick and Bethesda, Maryland, where he went to elementary and middle schools. He lived for a year in Brussels at age 10 and for two years after that in the UK, where he attended Ashdown House, a boarding school in East Sussex. He was hilarious as the porter in the school’s production of ‘Macbeth.’ With his family, Colin traveled to Italy, Greece, Germany, France and Holland (birthplace of his grandfather); He sailed past everyone on the ski slopes in Austria. Later, on his own, he enjoyed a canal trip in France and a visit to Hong Kong with a friend from his English school days. Returning first to Maryland, he moved to Newburgh with his family in 1998. He attended Newburgh Free Academy and earned a GED in 2001. He took classes at Mount Saint Mary College and SUNY Orange. Over the years he worked at a variety of jobs, including Advance Auto Parts in Newburgh, Rochester Clothing in Highland Mills, Precision Technology in Saugerties, and Lowe's in Poughkeepsie. Colin was bright, observant, and articulate. In school he was often an early favorite with teachers, due to his quick comprehension, ability to see connections, and skill in explaining concepts, but later in the semester – not so much, as he struggled with organizing his thoughts and applying the discipline required for papers and tests. He started rowing in Maryland and joined the NFA crew team – on the ergometer, he ranked 16th worldwide for his age. He also wrote poetry, crafted beautiful ceramics, learned to weld, and loved photography. He was always interested in alternative spiritual pathways, especially Buddhism. Colin never found his place in the world, but he had a positive effect on many people. At 6'9" he was hard to miss – a gentle giant, or as one friend put it, a sheep in wolf's clothing. He had a natural empathy for others and, without intending it, gravitated toward leadership in jobs, among friends, and in the recovery communities he joined. He considered himself shy and ill at ease in society, yet he had “the gift of gab” (as he put it) and made many friends who stayed loyal throughout his life. All those who knew him found Colin to be caring, honest, and sympathetic - a gentle soul. A memorial service will be held Saturday April 5, 6pm, at St. George's Episcopal Church, 105 Grand Street, Newburgh, NY 12550. Anyone wishing to commemorate Colin is encouraged to make a donation to St. Christopher's Inn at Graymoor, where he prospered in recovery in 2012-13. For information see http://stchristophersinn-graymoor.org/

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