Dr. Jack Eric Hokanson, 94, of Lloyd, FL, passed away March 12, 2026, with his family by his side. His wife of 72 years, Santa (Jack and her family called her Cynthia), held his hand until his last breath. He was deeply loved.<\/p>\n
Born October 5, 1931, in NYC to Swedish immigrants Algot and Ingeborg Hokanson, Jack grew up playing stickball in the Bronx and playing the accordion\u2014even performing at the 1939 World\u2019s Fair. A graduate of the Bronx High School of Science and City College, he helped his father build the family home in New Jersey before being drafted in the U.S. Army.<\/p>\n
Jack met Cynthia through a fraternity brother. On their first meeting, he arrived in tennis whites and, after hearing her play Rachmaninoff, offered “constructive criticism” of her \u201cmuddy left hand.\u201d They married in 1954, beginning a seventy-two-year love story.<\/p>\n
Jack earned his PhD at the University of Wisconsin before moving to Tallahassee in 1959 to join the FSU Psychology Department. He retired as Professor Emeritus after over 40 years, having authored three books and numerous research papers. He was a man of profound kindness, humor and a dedicated mentor to his students. He was much beloved by his students, colleagues and friends. <\/p>\n
A true family man, Jack shared his love of music and the outdoors with his six children and grandkids. He played guitar on the front stoop, took up the cello to play duets with Cynthia, and captained the family sailboat, Leif the Lucky. In 1964, the family moved to a 90-acre farm in Lloyd, which became a hub for Sunday picnics and university camaraderie. In 1973, while teaching for the FSU London Program, Jack took his family of eight across Europe in a VW van to reconnect with his Swedish roots. It was a year of great growth and widening of perspectives about the world. <\/p>\n
In retirement, Jack became a prolific painter and a world traveler. He was known for his wit\u2014once conceding a “dessert before supper” argument to a two-year-old granddaughter who “proved” her point using a book.<\/p>\n
Jack is survived by his wife, Santa (\u201cCynthia\u201d); daughters Carol, Jean, and Martha (Robert); and son John (MaLynda). He was predeceased by sons Robert and David. His grandchildren\u2014Kristen (Bryan), Nicholas (Jill), Monica (Tom), Jessica, Hannah, and Robbie\u2014and great-grandchildren\u2014Charlotte, Jack, and Samuel\u2014were the light of his life.<\/p>\n