Menu
Search by Name
Search by Name
Ragene Hoyt Obituary
Ragene (Jean, Jeannie, Thumper) was born to Thomas and Effie Jones, in Nashville, Tennessee as the youngest child and only daughter with six older brothers who all predeceased her.
Jean met her future husband and life partner, Bob Hoyt, while working as a counter waitress in Nashville. She served him a "short" coke, and they spent the next 70 years together until Bob's passing in 2018.
After marrying in April 1952, Jean and Bob had an exciting life living and traveling together from the Army post in Kentucky to western Kansas growing wheat and raising cattle (where the bonafide city girl was introduced to rattlesnakes, tornadoes, snow drifts and dust bowl winds). Later they lived in Silver Springs, Maryland for a short time while Bob was in the CIA but returned to Kansas to settle in Lawrence where they spent twenty plus years until their retirement.
During this time, Jean had many occupations ranging from small town nurse to accountant to managing a small publishing company that Bob and a University of Kansas co-worker started.
They also had two daughters along the way, Vicki and Michelle.
Jean retired with Bob to Crossville, Tennessee with Jean decorating inside and outside the house for all the holidays and pursuing her lifetime love of gardening, including becoming a Master Gardener.
After Bob's passing, she divided her time between Vicki and husband Don's house at the Bars family farm in Connecticut and Michelle and husband Devon's house in Las Vegas, along with her and Bob's beloved canine companion, Carli, who passed away earlier in 2025.
She will always be remembered for her decorating, gardening and landscaping skills with the beautiful back patio landscaping in Connecticut and her rose bush garden in Las Vegas as living testaments to a life well lived by what everyone called an amazing and gracious Southern lady.
She will be greatly missed by the family and friends she leaves behind across the country.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Ragene Hoyt
2 Entries
Larry McElwain
June 6, 2025
Jean was a wonderful friend that I worked with over a decade in Lawrence.
She offered us good bookkeeping advice and did it with a wonderful attitude and sense of humor.
May she Rest in Peace.
Nina Beeler Fowler
June 6, 2025
Thoughts and prayers to your family.
Showing 1 - 2 of 2 results
Make a Donation
in Ragene Hoyt's name
Memorial Events
for Ragene Hoyt
How to support Ragene's loved ones
Honor a beloved veteran with a special tribute of ‘Taps’ at the National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.
Read more
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?
What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?
Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?
We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.
Read moreResources to help you cope with loss
How to Cope With Grief
Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you.
Read more
Estate Settlement Guide
If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.
Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast
Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.
Read moreWays to honor Ragene Hoyt's life and legacy
Obituary Examples
You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.
Read more
Obituary Templates – Customizable Examples and Samples
These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.
Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?
Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.
Read more
