John Allen Hoskins
John A. Hoskins of Richwood, died December 28, 2017 at the Kobacker House in Columbus. He was born in Columbus, Ohio on June 8, 1929, son of Mr. Donald J. Hoskins and Mrs. Dorothy M. Hoskins.
In retirement, John returned to his farm near Richwood, Ohio that has been in the family since 1838. For over 20 years he applied his well-honed diplomatic skills to helping veterans, Richwood area businesses, older adults and youth, as well as advocating for the preservation of farmland and the history of Union County. His support for his community was tangible.
Most significantly, in 1999, John donated five acres of land from his farm to the Village of Richwood to built a permanent memorial to all our veterans- the North Union District Veterans' Memorial Monument. He donated an additional amount of land for a baseball diamond- Veterans' Field. For many years John sponsored a North Union Baseball for Boys team. He had the connecting road named Veterans' Way.
A life member, John joined VFW Post 870 and served as Commander for five years and chaired many committees. During his tenure as Commander, he wrote the monthly VFW Newsletter, chaired the Patriot's Pen and Voice of Democracy Essays Competitions committees and assisted in the annual sale of poppy flowers. John also diligently organized and led the Military Honor Guard, visited veterans and represented the Post at district and state levels
John received the coveted Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States "All State Post Award" honor for his participation in district and state activities and was honored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States with a Gold Circle Member Certificate of Appreciation. John was a trustee of VFW Post 870 and a member of Richwood American Legion Post 40. He published various articles such as Freedom is not Free in the Richwood Gazette and Korean War Memories in Heroes from the Heartland book.
John served two terms as Civic Center trustee and past-president of the Board. He served as president of the Union County International Family Center. Always willing to assist the seniors, he also volunteered as an AARP income tax preparer. As an active member of the Richwood Area Business Association (RABA), he held the office of president and vice-president and served on several RABA committees. He served as master of ceremonies during the Richwood Holiday Parade. He assisted with the annual golf outing and annual Customer Appreciation Day and Craft Show. For RABA each year, he purchased animals at the Richwood Fair Junior Livestock Sale. John was a member of the Richwood First United Methodist Church.
John served on the Union County Chamber of Commerce's Legislative Committee. He was an Election Observer, Union County Central Committee Member for Claibourne Township and became Chairman of the Union County Democratic Party.
John received the Richwood Leader Award for 2005 and the Claibourne Township Leader Award in 2012 from the Union County Chamber of Commerce and RABA named him the 2014 Richwood Holiday Parade Grand Marshall.
An avid preservationist, John served on the Union County Task Force on Farmland Preservation, Land Heritage Trust of Union County and Union County Historical Markers Committee. He was a member of the Union County and Ohio Historical Societies. John received the Union County Genealogy Society "Union County Pioneers" honor, having proven to be a descendant from ancestors living in Union County, Ohio before 1 December 1840.
Most recently, Honor Flight Columbus honored John with a trip to Washington, DC to visit monuments. John received The Columbus Dispatch and The Columbus Clippers "Hometown Heroes" honor for his military service and he was inducted into the Central Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame for his significant contributions to the community after reaching the age of 60.
John was a member of the American Foreign Service Association. As a former diplomat, John advocated for Foreign Service causes. He attended the annual US Department of State Foreign Service Day in Washington, DC and visited the Ohio Congressional Delegation on Capitol Hill on behalf of the American Foreign Service Association, advocating for the benefit of active duty and retired Foreign Service officers.
John attended Arlington schools and was graduated from the Columbus Academy in 1947. He attended Dartmouth College where he majored in International Relations, studied Russian for three years and was editor of the College Year Book. He was a member of the Chi Gamma Epsilon fraternity.
John started his military career as a cadet in the NROTC at Dartmouth. John took his Midshipmen Practice Cruise on the USS Iowa in 1948. Upon being graduated from Dartmouth in 1951, cum laude and with distinction, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. on 1 June 1951. John was called to active duty from 17 June 1951 to 25 September 1953. The USS General William Geigel carried John to Korea and he saw active combat in the Korean War. John received the Domain of the Golden Dragon Award from the US Navy upon crossing the International Date Line.
John was appointed to the grade of First Lieutenant on 1 December 1952. John served in Korea as a rifle platoon commander and as a liaison officer with the Korean Marine Corps. Later he served as guard detachment in the Philippines until his separation in 1953. On recognition for his service, the Marine Corps. honored John with the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal with Three Battle Stars and the United Nations National Service Medal. The Republic of Korea honored John with the Korean Presidential Unit Citation with Ribbon.
Following his service in the Marine Corps., John attended The Ohio State University College of Law where he became Editor-in Chief of the Ohio State Law Journal, a member of the legal honorary society Phi Delta Chi and a member of the Order of the Coif. Upon graduating, summa cum laude, he was admitted, by examination, into the practice of law in Ohio on 17 September 1957. Shortly thereafter, he took a "vagabond' trip to Russia and reports of his experiences appeared in the Columbus Dispatch.
John worked at a Columbus trial firm and as an assistant attorney general. Of note, he was the first legal counsel for the newly created Ohio Civil Rights Commission and drafted the Commission's rules barring employment discrimination.
In 1961 John went to Washington, DC to work in the Kennedy administration as an assistant general counsel for the Agency for International Development in the US Department of State (USAID).
In 1962 John became regional general counsel for Southeast Asia. He first moved to Saigon, Viet Nam to help develop an aid-based program. In 1965 he was evacuated to Bangkok, Thailand where he continued working as regional general counsel for Southeast Asia, covering several countries.
John moved back to the US mainland in 1967 and attended the National War College. Upon being graduated in 1968, he continued working for USAID as an assistant general counsel for Africa at the African Bureau at the US Department of State. In 1968 John also received a Master of Science degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University in Washington, DC.
John next went to the west African nation of Upper Volta (now called Burkina Faso) where he was mission director (County Representative for USAID). It was his first time setting a mission as a mission director where there previously was none. As part of his mission, John had to start an international school in Upper Volta. John also worked as mission director in Mauritania. For his service, John received a Superior Unit Citation from Sahel Director Bureau of Africa and the United States Agency for International Development Outstanding Achievement Award from Assistant Director John R. Bolton.
On 28 September 1980, John was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, with advice and consent from the US Senate, Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service of the United States of America Class of Minister-Counselor. John then went to work in New York City as the development advisor for the US Mission to the United Nations.
In 1982 John began working for the United Nations as the food and agriculture officer. His work took him to Uganda and Rwanda. John worked for the United Nations in Bangladesh for five years before finishing out his career in Jamaica and The Bahamas. The UN has a mandatory retirement age of 62.
John returned to his family farm in 1992 and married his wife Patria on August 17, 1996 at the farm. The records show that US President Andrew Jackson granted the land that we now call the Hoskins-Hamilton farm.
Surviving is his wife Patria V. (Vega) Hoskins, children: Laurel Labide of Marysville, Susan Hoskins of Washington D.C., Donald (Madina) Hoskins of Kazakhstan and Patricia Castro-Vega of Chicago
Grandchildren: Frederic Labide, Christopher Hoskins, Ashley Hoskins and Catherine Hoskins
Special cousin: Martha Schmulbach and her children: George and Caroline
John’s first wife and the mother of their children: Marilyn Hoskins of Washington D.C.
He was preceded in death by two sisters: Barbara Hoskins and Deborah Edwards
Funeral services will be held Saturday January 6, 2018, at the Richwood First United Methodist Church at 2:00 pm, Pastor Joseph Rhea will officiate, followed by Military Honors conducted by the Richwood Area Veterans, burial will follow in the Claibourne Cemetery. Friends may call two hours prior to the service at the church.
Memorial gifts may be made to the First United Methodist Church at 18 South Fulton Street Richwood, OH 43344 and the V. F. W. Post 870 P. O. Box 164 Richwood, OH 43344
Condolences and remembrances may be expressed at www.stofcheck-ballinger.com
Stofcheck-Ballinger Funeral Home