- Date Of Birth: June 13, 1950
- Date Of Death: September 12, 2020
- State: Utah
Our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, Harold LeRoy Hockett, Jr passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family, on September 12, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. He was 70 years old.
Harold was born on June 13, 1950 in Salida, Colorado to Harold LeRoy Hockett, Sr and Elizabeth Francis Ekstrom. His family later moved to Utah where Harold attended school in the Salt Lake area and in 1968 graduated from Highland High. After high school, Harold continued his education by earning an associate degree in Architectural Drafting before enlisting in the Army. He served for 3 years in the Corps of Engineers at Fort Jackson, SC before being honorably discharged in 1974. He then worked for the U.S. Post Office for the next 44 years, finally retiring in 2018.
Harold married Kathryn Sechler on August 18, 1981. Together they had one son, Thomas. They were later divorced.
In 1994, Harold met his forever sweetheart, Leisa Leavitt and on June 24, 1995 they were married in Ogden, UT. On September 22, 2012, they were sealed for time and all eternity in the Bountiful, UT temple. Leisa meant the world to Harold and his steadfast commitment to her was apparent to all who knew them. Hand in hand, they did their best to create a loving, eternal family by spending time together and building memories throughout the years.
Harold was a faithful, active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints where he served as Sunday School president and in many scouting positions over the years. Harold loved working with the scouts, helping them to develop survival skills and earn merit badges. Although he never had the opportunity to earn his own Eagle Scout, Harold made significant contributions to several young men as they worked to earn theirs. He was a mountain man at heart and loved being in the outdoors surrounded by nature.
Harold was a fiercely devoted family man who valued spending time with the people he loved most. He loved to tease and be an instigator of happy chaos. He loved to play borey borey with his grandkids until they squealed with anticipation, or give wet willeys, throw cold water in your shower, or tickle your kneecaps until you were almost exasperated. At the drop of a dime, he would tend the grandkids, or just go spend time with them playing at the park. He loved our annual family camping trips and was looking forward to bigger and better adventures yet to come.
Harold spent his days working hard to provide for his family, in every way possible. He was a humble, simple man who lived his life in Christ-like service to his family, friends, and neighbors. He was elated when someone needed his help, and if they didn’t ask, he would just do something for them anyway. He was a loving teacher and mentor to his kids and grandkids and was most content when he was side-by-side working on a project with one of them. He had a curious nature and sought to always try to learn new things to share with whoever would listen.
Harold was preceded in death by his father, mother, brother and best friend Kenny, and sister Eileen. He is survived by his wife Leisa, daughter Tiffany (Aaron) Mizell, son Steven (Mandy) Reichard, son Thomas Ray Hockett, daughter Rebecca (Tony) Graham, son Matthew (Shantel) Reichard, son Jordan (Jessica) Reichard, and son Taylor. 15 grandchildren – Jared, Ryann, James, Harmony, Max, Ben, Lilly, Drayden, Journey, Jaxyn, Oliver, Elijah, AnnaLeah, Grayson, and Benson, and 1 great-grandchild, Jace.
The family wishes to thank the ICU staff at McKay-Dee Hospital for the compassionate and loving care they gave Harold during his last days, along with the many elders that administered priesthood blessings to him during his stay. We also wish to acknowledge with deep appreciation the many expressions of love, kindness, and support shown to us from family and friends during this very difficult time.
