Marcia Hoak Vickery

Marcia Hoak Vickery passed away on Saturday, June 29, 2024.  She was born on February 11, 1930 in Pasadena CA, the first child of Doris Fowler Hoak and Edward Warren Hoak.  She grew up in South Pasadena CA. She graduated from South Pasadena – San Marino High School in 1947. She continued her education at Stanford University.  While at Stanford, she majored in international relations and became president of the campus chapter of the YWCA. This was the start of a lifetime of interest in improving the world through volunteer work and donations to religious and charitable organizations.

Her junior year she met a graduate student named Robert Kingston Vickery Jr.  They married in 1951, just after graduation.  The marriage was a happy one – it lasted 71 years until Bob passed away in 2022. 

In December of 1951, they moved to Salt Lake City, where Bob had been hired by the Biology Department of the University of Utah.  It was a good move.  They never did move back to California.  They bought a house in the Canyon Rim neighborhood.  They raised two sons.  They became active in the Holladay United Church of Christ.  They joined a book club that they participated in for over 50 years.

When their sons became a little older, Marcia went back to school to get her teaching certificate.  She taught fourth grade at the old Sherman School in East Millcreek.  She later taught math and Utah history at Olympus Junior High School in Holladay.

After her sons graduated from college, Marcia quit teaching, went through a period of mid-life introspection and decided to make two major changes to her life.  She joined All Saints Episcopal Church and started working at the O. C. Tanner store in downtown Salt Lake City.  She was very happy at both places.

When Bob retired, she did too.  They took many trips together.  They favored Hawaii and places in the South Pacific in the winter.  At other times of the year they traveled all over the world:  Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Peru, Australia.  And when they were back home in Salt Lake, they made a point of driving up Big Cottonwood Canyon at least once a week to have a meal at the Silver Fork Lodge.

Marcia had a remarkable ability to strike up a conversation with almost anyone.  People responded to her warm, outgoing personality and her genuine interest in them.  She made lifelong friends everywhere – at work, at church, on vacation, on social occasions, on walks around the neighborhood, and even at the doctor's office.

She is survived by her two sons David (Daniel) and Peter (Chris), granddaughter Mei Vickery and sister Mary Hoak Couey.

Services will be held at All Saints Episcopal Church 1710 Foothill Drive in Salt Lake City on Friday July 5 at 11:00 AM. 

Donations in her honor can be made to Episcopal Relief & Development, 815 Second Avenue, New York NY 10017, or to a charity of your choice.