ALAN RAY HOCHSTETLER
May 7, 1939 – April 7, 2018
Alan Ray Hochstetler, a resident of Morningside Assisted Living of Williamsburg, Virginia, died April 7, 2018, due to complications of Parkinson’s disease that he had for 37 years.
He was born May 7, 1939, in Nappanee, Indiana, as the youngest of five children born to William and Mary (Maust) Hochstetler. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Eugene and Dean Hochstetler, and nephew, Donald Hochstetler. Another nephew, Lee Hochstetler, died the following day after Alan’s death. Survivors are his wife, Donna, and two sisters, Mary Ellen Kaufman and Miriam Hochstetler of Nappanee, Indiana. Other living relatives are nephews Clair (Carole Anne) Hochstetler, Verle (Marci) Hochstetler, step-children and step-grandchildren.
Alan’s educational background includes Bremen High School class salutatorian of 1957, undergraduate studies at Goshen College with a B.A. in chemistry in 1964, and graduate school at Northwestern University with a doctorate in organic chemistry in 1968.
After completing a year at Goshen College, he applied to Mennonite Central Committee for the PAX (peace) program to meet alternative governmental requirements for the draft. A three-year term in Viet Nam from 1958-1961 was accepted. As a foreman, he designed and built two wings onto an existing leprosarium in Banmethuot. During the latter part of his term, he was transferred to South Korea to supervise construction of a barn and a building for orphan boys. He returned to the United States in 1961. Alan had such a compassion for the Vietnamese people that he revisited the country several times.
After returning from his term of service abroad, he reentered Goshen College to complete his B.A. and graduated in the summer of 1964 with honors. In the fall of 1964 he began graduate work at Northwestern University and was awarded a doctorate in organic chemistry in 1968. Following the completion of his Ph.D, he accepted a one-year assignment as a lecturer in the chemistry department at Northwestern. On September 8, 1969, he was offered a research job at Givaudan Corporation in Clifton, New Jersey, and experimented with cedar wood oil chemistry and process research. During his career he was involved in 27 publications and patents. After working at Givuadan for 25 years as a scientist, his professional career in chemistry ended in 1994 due to Parkinson’s disability.
He was a member of Williamsburg Mennonite Church and appreciated the caring people there. He was a volunteer at the Williamsburg Mennonite Retreat Center. He drew diagrams of his genealogy, liked to work on old cars, put jigsaw puzzles together, and collected Indiana license plates beginning in 1913 to recent ones that are displayed in a garage. He enjoyed collecting coins and stamps and singing in a male quartet. As a young boy he found empty locust shells, counted them, and saved them in an oatmeal box.
Visitation: Saturday May 12 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at Thompson Lengacher &Yoder Funeral Home, Nappanee, Indiana. Memorial Service: Saturday May 12 at 3:00 at the Funeral Home.
