LaFaun Rickey Hoggard
LaFaun Rickey Hoggard, a father of three, passed on January 2, 2025, in St. Louis, Missouri. Born on July 6, 1957, in Oakland City, Indiana, he lived to be sixty seven. His eldest daughter, Danielle Johnson proceeded his passing, as well as hisfather, James Hoggard. His surviving children are Jorden Hoggard and Marissa Hoggard. LaFaun was the eldest of three siblings and is survived by Randy Hoggard and Penny Hudspeth. He is also survived by his mother, Doris Mayfield, and step father, James Mayfield.
LaFaun was adventurous in his life. He sought excitement in both his professional and personal endeavors. He relished the opportunity to explore various job opportunities and ultimately assumed the leadership role of the family-owned business in which he had been employed throughout his life.
Upon retirement, LaFaun transformed his residence into an Airbnb, where he managed it alongside his daughter, Marissa. This arrangement enabled him to pursue his passions more fully in his later years. He acquired a sailboat equipped with a double cabin, allowing him to live on the water when weather conditions permitted. He enjoyed camping, hiking, sailing, fishing, and immersing himself in nature. His constant pursuit of adventure was evident in his life.
LaFaun embraced life with enthusiasm, and his presence brought joy to those around him. His son, Jorden, describes his dad’s distinct laugh when sharing stories of standing still to listen for his laugh to know where he was, whether in the house or which lane he was in at the grocery store. LaFaun was often in a crowd of people leading them through a story with his infectious laughter. His joy of life will continue to be remembered for years to come.
A few days prior to his departure, LaFaun expressed his enthusiasm for his upcoming adventure in his afterlife. He shared his passion for exploration and revealed that his next endeavor will be the most significant adventure he has undertaken thus far. He explained that he intends to embark on a journey aboard a rocket ship, propelling himself into the cosmos as stardust. While he was uncertain of the form his next physical manifestation will take, he was ready for the new life. He conveyed his excitement for this adventure and assured us that we didn’t need to be concerned, as he was embarking on his most ambitious journey yet.
LaFaun’s imprint and stories of adventure will live on in the many lives he touched. He will be remembered for his adventurous spirit, willingness to embrace new experiences, and his dreams of what is next to come.
More information to come once memorial services are finalized.
Lafaun is my best friend I spent his last days with him in the hospital as much as I could this man helped save my life in so many ways and he was a love in my life in so many ways and I miss him so very much I have so many fond memories of our adventures from the last 17 years that we have been close friends . It’s hard to imagine life without him now but I know I will see him again one day . I know he is having the time of his life now and he will be severely missed . I love you lafaun until we meet again.
LaFaun loved being my big brother. He always wanted to teach me and take care of me. This started when I was really young. LaFaun was on the wrestling team in school, and he thought Randy and I needed to know how to defend ourselves. So, he decided to teach us different moves. We would wrestle a lot, sometimes all three of us at once. Then, it would be Randy and me against LaFaun. I can’t tell you how many times Mother would yell at us to get out of the house if we were going to wrestle. So we’d go out to the front yard and continue our wrestling. And I have to say, thanks to LaFaun for teaching me because I did learn to physically defend myself quite well!
LaFaun knew I had already been driving cars in and out of the shop for years. But when I turned 16, he insisted on giving me a test before I got my driver’s license. He took me to this property our Dad owned, which we called Hoggard’s Park, and he started telling me, ‘Pay attention, because I’m going to show you how to drive this obstacle course.’ He drove me around trees and other objects, making sure I remembered everything he did. Then he drove straight up against a building, so I would have to back up. When he got out of the car, he proudly announced, ‘OK, do exactly what I did! But you have to do the whole obstacle course in reverse!’ He was so proud of himself for giving me a good challenge before I got my license.
I got my first apartment at the 4-family flat LaFaun owned. I was 17 and my big brother was showing me how to live on my own. Soon, Randy moved into the apartment next door to me. We three kids lived together again, just in our own apartments! We laughed about how we all lived so close together as we remembered as siblings, we had our moments of disagreements and sometimes we couldn’t wait to get away from each other. At the flat we developed a special kind of closeness that really stuck with me throughout our adult lives.
I’m so thankful I got to travel to St. Louis and stay at the hospital with LaFaun during his last days. The first night, when the nurse was setting up a chair/cot for me to sleep in, LaFaun asked for the chair to be moved to a certain spot so he could easily see me when he wakes up during the night. That little detail really made me smile, and it still does. I was hugging him as he moved on to his next adventure, and I’m so glad I was there with him. It’s hard to put into words how thankful I am that we had that special time together.
Monk… in talking about LaFaun, I have to mention him as Monk. He got that nickname when we were really young. His ears stuck straight out like a monkey. He developed the nickname Monkey at church camp. I never used the nickname because as his little sister, I didn’t think it was very nice. When LaFaun was old enough, his ears were surgically corrected, and he told me he missed having a nickname. He decided to have everyone call him Monk, short for Monkey. He would introduce himself as Monk, and many people used Monk for years, including me. Eventually, he went back to his given name LaFaun, but every once in a while, I would call him Monk. He once told me that he really liked how I still called him Monk every once in a while; he said it brought back good memories. Years later, he saw he was in my phone Contacts as Monk and he mentioned it again, saying how it made him smile to see I had him as Monk in my Contacts. So, I want to end this message with a big I LOVE YOU FOREVER, MONK!!!!