Obituary
Gordon Eddy Hokkala, 73, passed away on September 30, 2023, from Liver cancer. He was born at St. Cloud Hospital in Minnesota on June 3, 1950, to his mother Loretta Freida Blumke Hokkala and the late Donald August Hokkala.
Gordi proudly served his country in the United States Air Force after graduating from Kimball High School in 1968. During his time in the Air Force, one of his duties was to oversee security. He was stationed at Semichi Island base in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. He said on a clear day you could see islands that belonged to Russia. He was honorably discharged. After the Airforce, he tried building pole sheds but decided he was no carpenter and went into trucking with Arlen Salmela as a co-driver for about one year and then decided to buy his own truck, hauling air freight coast to coast for 45 years, and that was a job for life.
Gordi met his wife Caro in 1981. They got married in 1984. They traveled and worked together for 15 years. Gordi enjoyed life! He fished, hunted, golfed, played the lottery, and wrote short stories and poems. Most importantly, he enjoyed spending time with family and friends. He also was a member of the American Legion Riders Club Post 254. Gordi had a wonderful sense of humor. He will be dearly missed but precious memories will forever remain in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.
In addition to his father Donald August Hokkala, Gordi was predeceased by his brother Greg Hokkala.
He is survived by wife Caro, daughter Lisa Nason; son, Donald Showmaker; grandsons, Chad Nason, Stephen Showmaker, and Seth Chestosky, and 3 great grandchildren; brother, David Hokkala and wife Mona; sisters, Fay Kingman, Linda Rose and husband Leroy, Kathy Hokkala, sister-in-law, Vicky Doyle and husband Sean; brother-in-law, Neal Loth and wife Valerie; nephew, Bobby Kingman, cousin, Dennis Blumke and wife Debbie, and several nieces, nephews, and family.
A burial with military honors will be held at Sarasota National Cemetery on Monday, October 30, 2023, at 10:00AM.
Baldwin Brothers of Venice is honored to serve the Hokkala family.
