In Loving Memory of Lana Paule Hoch
Lana Paule Hoch, born May 11, 1937, in Boise, Idaho, passed away at the age of 86 on February 3 rd , 2024, with loving family by her side. She was the third-born daughter of Roma Sur Huschke and Paul William Frederick Huschke.
Lana was a kind and thoughtful soul with a brilliant mind, who was devoted to helping others. She loved learning and sharing knowledge as an English Teacher and a Job Placement Guidance Counselor, member of Mensa and Secretary of many professional groups. Continuing after retirement she shared her love of water color painting, family history, organic gardening, cooking and sharing new recipes, while caring for her beloved pets.
Lana’s early childhood was spent in Southern California and Hawaii, and she returned to Idaho with her Mom and sisters when she was 6 years old. She attended Payette High School, participated in Girls State and graduated with high honors as Salutatorian in 1955.
She received her BA in English and French from the University of Idaho in 1959, where she belonged to the Delta Gamma Sorority and was President of the Mortar Board Honor Society.
She Married John B. Hoch in April of 1958 and they later had two beautiful sons, John and David. They moved to Berkley, CA where Lana taught English at Richmond High School and John earned his Master’s in engineering.
Lana carved a new path in 1970, when she divorced her husband and returned to Idaho with her two young boys. She purchased a lovely home in the Capital High neighborhood in Boise, and taught English at East Jr. High and then Emmett High School. While there she developed the Special Needs Program for the Emmett School District and was Secretary of the Emmett Teachers Association.
In 1979 Lana designed her dream home, and had it built in Boise’s Foothills East neighborhood near Table Rock. She loved the views from her studio loft, which inspired many beautiful pastel drawings and paintings. She finished her Master’s in Education in 1980, and she got a kick out of completing this goal the same year Mt. St. Helens blew her top!
As a member of Mensa, Lana tutored many students and was also a foster parent to two lovely girls. Following her teaching career, she worked for the State of Idaho as a Job Placement Guidance Counselor, where she helped people find jobs that were well suited to their aptitude and skills. She loved helping people in this way and was honored when she learned the difference this made in their lives.
Lana suffered a stroke at the early age of 57. This spurred her to take Art and Computer Graphic classes at Boise State University, with the intention to use both sides of her brain to aid in her stroke recovery. She also found that the stroke freed up her painting style, which allowed a lovely playfulness in her watercolors. She also began writing a book, researching and recording her Jacobsen family history, in Payette and beyond. Lana went on a journey to Denmark and Germany to connect with distant family relatives and to experience their villages for this purpose.
Over the years she belonged to several professional groups, always helping where she saw a need. Lana was secretary of the Idaho Watercolor Society for 10 years, and continued to paint with a group of artists until the week before she died. She was also secretary of the “Transplants” Garden Club for several years, and continued gardening every year, planting her indoor starts in March, then transplanting them in her backyard garden once the frost lifted.
She loved sharing her organic bounty, growing tips and cooking delicious meals with these fresh ingredients. One of her favorite pastimes was to watch cooking shows and record new recipes, try them and share with her family and friends. She was an incredible gardening and recipe resource for anyone interested. In recent years, she started a monthly lunch gathering to re-connect with several Payette high school friends.
Her son David said “my mom was the most positive person I have ever met, upbeat and creative. Every day she learned a new recipe, and she spent every day in the garden that she could… fun or not, she did it anyway.”
Lana loved spending time with her family, delighting in everyone’s news. She was honest and helpful with her caring wisdom. She loved holiday gatherings, always contributing her delicious treats, and kind presence. She enjoyed movies, BSU football games and trips to Palm Springs with her sister and extended family, which inspired so much joy for everyone! We all miss her dearly and will hold on to every cherished memory.
Lana, beloved Daughter, Mother, Sister, Aunt and friend. Adventure, reunion and peace awaits you on the other side. Keep on painting the beauty that you find around you. Your work here is done. Lana was preceded in death by her parents and sister Diane. She is survived by her sister Arma and her sons John and David.
A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, February 13, 2024 at 2:00 pm at Riverside Cemetery located at 1969 N River Road, Payette, Idaho. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Riverside+Cemetery+Park/@44.0953394,-116.936447,15z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x54af8664f7ccf141:0x284820333ad8f744!8m2!3d44.0953394!4d-116.936447!16s%2Fg%2F11df05h21v?entry=ttu
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Lana’s name to the American Indian College Fund: https://collegefund.org/
To send condolences to the family, please click the link on this page. https://www.bowmanfuneral.com/obituary/lana-paule-hoch/