Richard Hoctor: husband, friend, son, brother, teacher-leader, life-long learner, advocate.

Richard Hoctor, 78, of Fruita, Colorado passed on at his home with his wife Denise and canine companion Jake at his side on October 12, 2026. He lived a life filled with friendships, love, learning, teaching, and travel. He will be remembered for his dedication to special needs students and their families.

Richard was born in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were John, a New York City police officer, and Claire, an administrative assistant with IBM. His family life was rich in culture, music, and the diverse tapestry of living in the Big Apple. As a lover of music, he loved listening to local bands who later became famous musicians. He was known for his extensive collection of albums. His love of music permeated his life.

When Richard was 21, he travelled with two buddies to Bethel, New York, to take part in Woodstock, the iconic music festival. This event helped fuel his love of music and his commitment to peace and justice. Richard still spoke of Woodstock decades later.

His undergraduate studies in education began at Long Island College in New York. From there, Richard moved to Kirksville, Missouri, where he attended Northeast Missouri University and earned his Master’s degree in Special Education. Following this, Richard began work on his Ph. D. at the University of Iowa.

Richard’s passion was for an education that met the needs of ALL students, especially children with behavioral needs. As he put it the “toughest of the tough” needed a voice and he could be that voice. He became a tireless advocate for these children and their families and went on in his career to provide them with experiences they often lacked, such as skiing on the Grand Mesa, participating in Ropes courses to build trust, and many other outdoor adventures.

Richard’s professional experiences with special needs families spanned decades. He worked as a special education teacher at New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York; at a residential treatment center in Bloomfield, Missouri; as a supervisor for developmentally delayed individuals for the Mesa County Community Center Board; all prior to settling in at Mesa County Valley School District 51. His first teaching job in Grand Junction was at Columbine Elementary School. Next, he landed a position teaching emotionally and behaviorally challenged students at Thunder Mountain Elementary. It was here that he met Denise Marshall, who would become his best friend and the love of his life. Denise and Richard were married at the County Courthouse in 1984 by Judge Buss and had recently celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversary.

Richard continued his growth as an educator attending and presenting at the annual Roundhouse conferences for special needs families and their advocates. Both he and Denise spent three summers in the dorms at Western State College obtaining their Masters’ in Leadership from the University of Northern Colorado. He was a voracious reader and especially loved history, music, poetry and texts about the history of Native Americans.

He collected friends like other people collected Green Stamps. Once a friend of Richard’s, you were a friend for life. As a retiree, Richard would often participate in coffee dates with “The Old Farts”, as they called themselves. He and his buddies were storytellers, and they would spend hours sharing their past experiences. Known for his humor and storytelling Richard could make anyone laugh.

Richard not only loved people, he loved dogs and counted many canine companions as his buddies over the course of his life. He and Denise enjoyed road trips and often found themselves on the Oregon coast, So Cal, East coast and Lake Michigan. The two of them owned a cabin on the Grand Mesa for 25 years where they spent many happy hours, both by themselves and with friends.

His legacy will be as a tireless advocate for special needs students and their families, and as a man who believed passionately in peace and justice through servant leadership. His work and dedication have affected hundreds of young people throughout Mesa County and beyond.

Richard leaves behind his wife, Denise; his beloved dog Jake; his brother, Chris (Dier); brother-in-law Scott (Polly); sister-in-law Michele (Lionel); mother-in-law Mary Lou; many loved nieces and nephews, their spouses and their children. And the many friends he has met and loved along his journey. Special thanks and love to his doctors; Dr Khilnani, Dr. Howell and their staff.

A celebration of life will be held in April 2027. Richard’s family requests that donations be made in his name to the following organizations: Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Kanab, Utah; Underdog Rescue; Strive of Mesa County; or Ariel Clinical Services.

https://strivepsp.redpodium.com/strive