Obituary of Mary Kathleen Hoger

Mary Hoger, beloved mother, grandmother and friend, passed away peacefully at home on January 10, 2024.   

Mary was born on December 17, 1934, in Bismarck, North Dakota, to Paul and Rose (Fleck) Shannon.    Always an excellent student, she was valedictorian at St. Mary’s High School, and then attended the University of North Dakota, where she met the love of her life, James Hoger.  They were married in August of 1955 and moved briefly to Minneapolis, where Jim was an accountant, before he began his military career.  His first posting was in Houston, Texas, where the first of their five children, Sharon, was born.  Mary completed her college education in Houston, but due to her great love for her home state and its University, she petitioned for and was granted her diploma from the University of North Dakota with a bachelor of arts in History.  Mary was a member of the Pi chapter of Alpha Phi. 

Mary enjoyed her time as military wife and participated in the Officers Wives’ Club.  The growing family was stationed at Great Falls, Montana, where Sue and Jay were born; at Atwater, California, where Sally was born; and at Roswell, New Mexico, where Shelly joined the family.  Following Roswell, the family was transferred back to Mary’s beloved Grand Forks, North Dakota, where she enjoyed watching the Fighting Sioux hockey games.  Mary was always an active contract bridge player and became one of the first to be certified to direct bridge games while in Grand Forks. 

In 1972 Jim was stationed at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, where he retired.  Mary became a fixture in the bridge world, and gained the level of Sapphire Life Master.  She directed several area games and helped to arrange numerous bridge tournaments.  Mary had a wide circle of close friends in the area.  Jim died in 2001. 

Mary is survived by her children, Sharon Hoger and partner Clara Wood, Sue Siegmund and partner Craig Pullin, Jay Hoger and wife Cindy, Sally Hoger and husband Alan Reilly, and Shelly Parks and her husband Richard; as well as grandchildren, James  Hoger, Harrison Siegmund and wife Sarah, and Charlsie and Mary Catherine Parks; and great grandson, Mark Siegmund.  She was preceded in death by her granddaughter, Shannon, and by her husband, parents, and two brothers. 

Mass of Christian Burial: 1:30 p.m. Thursday, January 18, 2024 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Fort Worth.

Private Burial: Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.