Robert “Bob” Hoskinson was born in 1928 in Stryker, Ohio to M.G. and Isabel (Layton) Hoskinson.
Despite its small size, Stryker had five churches as well as large Amish and Mennonite churches out in
the country. As a child, Bob attended a shared Methodist Episcopal Church.
Bobs family moved to Bowling Green in the 1930s. From the first grade, he knew he wanted to be a teacher,
largely because of having had many dedicated elementary and high school teachers who served as his role
models. He was talented musically, but when he entered college, his parents convinced him that he should
major in something other than music. As a result he graduated from Bowling Green State University in
1950 with a degree in business education.
After teaching at the high school level for two years, he was drafted into the Army and was eventually
stationed at Hq USAREUR in Heidelberg, Germany. There he served as a court reporter and chief clerk for
the comptrollers office.
Upon his return to civilian life, he resumed teaching in a suburb of Cleveland. Upon completion of his
MA, he began teaching at the college level, holding position at Michigan State University and Indiana
State University. In 1960, Bob completed his Ph.D. program at Ohio State University and accepted a
position as chair of the Department of Office Administration at Washing State University. He remained at
WSU for 24 years. In 1984, he took a position at Bunka Women’s University in Tokyo, Japan, where he
taught courses in cross-culture and headed its annual month-long overseas program for students.
Bob returned to the U.S. to retire in Bainbridge Island, WA in 1992. He became a member of Rolling Bay
Presbyterian Church, where he took Stephen Ministry training in 1993, followed by leadership training in
1994. He served on the leadership team for several years and continued as an active Stephen Minster and
caregiver for the Interfaith Volunteers until 2012. Bob was an ordained deacon and elder of the
Presbyterian Church. Bob served as an organist in churches of several denominations over a period of 52
years. He was a member of the Worship and Music and the Spiritual Life Committees at Rolling Bay
Presbyterian Church.
Bob died peacefully on June 4, 2014. Remembrances may be made to the Stephen Ministry.
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