John David Hock

   John D. Hock passed away just before dawn on Saturday, May 13th 2023 at the age of 66. He takes with him part of the hearts of his wife Teresa, daughters Colleen and Holly, and grandson Ryan. He is predeceased by his mother Mary R. Hock, father John J. Hock, and brother Thomas J. “TJ” Hock. John is survived by his sister Eileen “Rock” Haberin, as well as many nieces and nephews.
   John was arguably the most intelligent man in the universe, with a big heart that rivaled his intelligence. He was friendly to all people he encountered in his lifetime, and shared a sense of magic and wonder for the world with those who knew him. He was a master of the art of conversation and could readily be found gathered around the kitchen table talking to his daughters, family, and friends until the wee hours of the morning. In addition to pondering the universe and life’s sometimes unanswerable questions, John was always there to lend an ear and just...listen. He was the kind of person you could confide in, tell your secrets to, without any fear of judgment. He was the kind of person that you could bounce ideas off of on how to save the world, or come up with an entire business plan, real or imagined, in the matter of a couple of hours with his 100% support. He was the kind of person you could disagree with, and he would not try to convince you that you were wrong. He would rather try to know and understand you and your side of the story.
   John was blessed with a quick and lighthearted wit and always seized the opportunity to make everyday life into a pun, a poem, or a song. John absorbed and retained everything he read throughout the years in an almost miraculous way and was akin to a human encyclopedia. He was very supportive of his wife and daughters and was constantly encouraging them to follow their dreams.
   John was a very giving person and didn’t care much for material items, but some of his favorite things in life were spending time with his family and reading anything he could find (mostly science fiction and non-fiction). He thoroughly enjoyed science, bird-watching, fishing, waves crashing onto the shore, learning, teaching, mathematics, statistics, quantum physics, summer barbecues, chocolate, ice cream, Teresa’s chocolate chip cookies, history, politics, a friendly debate, a nice day spent on the deck, solving problems, fixing things, building things with his daughters and grandson, environmentalism and conservation, hiking and national parks, recreational vehicles, road-trips, a good song, a good movie, poetry, a garden fresh tomato, a family meal, joking, laughing and making people crack up with laughter, being silly and absolutely goofy, playing poker and other games, oranges (the fruit), orange (the color), baseball (specifically the Baltimore Orioles, as he was their #1 fan in New Jersey), creative thinking, and story-telling.
   John was not religious, himself, but he was a man with very high morals who accepted and respected people of all creeds and all walks of life. He believed no single person could truly have all the answers in this life; knowing that he could never possibly fathom how to know all there ever was, and is to know, in this universe. This is perhaps one of the reasons we like to believe he was one of the smartest people to have ever existed.