John Hoshko, Jr.

CDR John Hoshko Jr, USN, deployed for the final time on July 30, 2023, from his home in Columbia, MD.   He was 85 years old. 

John was born in Cleveland, Ohio on June 2, 1938, to John and Anne (Pristas) Hoshko.   He grew up there with his younger sister Ann (later Ann Masella).  He graduated from West Tech High School in 1956.  A high school career assessment indicated he should be an engineer.   His passion however was writing, and he decided he would rather be a mediocre journalist than a good engineer.  He became the first in his family to go on to college, attending the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, where he graduated in 1960.

While at Northwestern taking a photojournalism course, John was walking past the main library.  Hailed by a fellow student, he helped her produce a class assignment – photographing two people walking out of the main library.  The other student in the photo was Ann Dalrymple (later Hoshko) and that picture is still in their home after 61 years of marriage.

After graduating John was told that he was due to be drafted into the Army, typical at the time.  He chose, instead, to apply to and attend Naval Officers Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island.  Upon completion in December 1960, he was commissioned as an Ensign In the US Navy.  This began his 21-year Naval career.

He served on the USS Holder (DDE-819) as ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) Officer, deploying for the naval quarantine of Cuba in 1962 (the Cuban Missile Crisis).   After a tour as a recruiter, he became a Public Affairs Officer (PAO) and spent the rest of his career as part of that community.   Significant duty stations included:

                PAO for Operation Deep Freeze - McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

                Public Affairs Support for US Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV)

                Deputy PAO for US Naval Forces Europe (CINCUSNAVEUR), London, UK

John, coincidentally, retired the same date his eldest son Chris was sworn in as a Naval ROTC Midshipman, but returned to active duty to be the Naval PAO liaison for the 1981 Presidential Inauguration Committee.    Post-Navy he consulted and then became a director at the US Navy Memorial in Washington DC.  After his final retirement in 2000, he and Ann moved to Williamsburg, a place they enjoyed visiting pre-retirement.  In 2015, they moved to Columbia, MD to be closer to family.  Here he became a fixture on their condominium’s building committee.

Throughout his life, John enjoyed working on DIY house projects or his cars.   His favorite cars were his 1966 Morgan Plus Four and his 1996 Jaguar XJS. He participated in the Morgan and Jaguar car clubs, attending shows and rallies.

John was predeceased by his parents John and Anne (Pristas) Hoshko, his sister, Ann (Hoshko) Masella, and his daughter in law Marsha.   He is survived by his wife Ann Dalrymple Hoshko, their sons, Chris, Mark and David, daughters in law, Dawn, Kathy, and Mary, and grandchildren Jordan, Matthew, Ryan, Eddie and Charlie.

He will be buried with appropriate honors at Arlington National Cemetery at a date to be determined.

If desired, donations in memory of are welcome at the United States Navy Memorial.   Visit www.navymemorial.org to contribute.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John Hoshko, Jr., please visit our floral store.