Obituary of Ethel C. Hoke

Ethel C. Hoke Mt. Upton—Ethel Clara Hoke, 80, passed away on Saturday, January 13, 2018 at A.O. Fox Hospital in Oneonta. Ethel was born on February 3, 1937 in Lebanon, NY, one of nine children of the late John C. Day, Sr. and Ethel (Widger) Day. She graduated from Sherburne-Earlville High School. On January 12, 1957, she was married to Howard D. Hoke in the Mt. Upton Baptist Church. They just celebrated their 61st anniversary last week. Ethel was a longtime employee of the US Postal Service; she enjoyed her job and her co-workers immensely. She loved helping others and was a former member of the Mt. Upton Emergency Squad. She and Howard took great pleasure in traveling, with some of their favorite destinations being trips to Nashville, TN, England and Hawaii. They loved animals and had many pets through the years. She enjoyed tending her flowers, spending time with people and most importantly, being with her family. In 2014, they moved to West End, NC where Ethel was very active in her church, which she missed when they had to come back to New York last summer. Ethel is survived by: her husband, Howard D. Hoke; three children: Marianne and Alan Birdsall, Howard John and Sherry Hoke and Diane and Donnie Baker; grandchildren: Stacy, Heather, Ashley, Sarah, Trevor, Tyler, Steven, Cathy, Tom and Lori-An; great-grandchildren: Trenton, Anthony, Raegan, Maddyn, Mason, Alicia, Chandra, Shelby and Hannah. Ethel will also be missed by her siblings, who lovingly referred to her as "Chipper": Clayton, Carl, Pauline, Dorothy, George, Kathy and Joe; as well as many nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, Ethel was predeceased by her beloved daughter, Susan, and by her brother, John. Friends may call from 2:00-4:00 pm on Thursday, January 18, 2018 at C.H. Landers Funeral Chapel, 21 Main St. Sidney. Funeral services will begin at 4:00pm at the funeral chapel with Rev. Chester Shew officiating. Burial will take place in the spring in Maplewood Cemetery, Mt. Upton. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Ethel's memory may be directed to the American Cancer Society or to the Mt. Upton Fire Department. Share condolences online at www.landersfh.com. Arrangements are under the direction of C.H. Landers Funeral Chapel, Sidney.