He Is Not Dead

December 3, 2018

He Is Not Dead

“I cannot say, and I will not say
That he is dead. He is just away.
With a cheery smile, and a wave of the hand,
He has wandered into an unknown land
And left us dreaming how very fair
It needs must be, since he lingers there.
And you - oh you, who the wildest yearn
For an old-time step, and the glad return,
Think of him faring on, as dear
In the love of There as the love of Here.
Think of him still as the same. I say,
He is not dead - he is just away.”

-James Whitcomb Riley

Michele, Will, Patrick, Christopher, Jerome (LJ) and Jerome

Packy

So the reason that brought me back home to Indianapolis this trip was a sad one, the passing of my brother-in-law, H. Jerome Noel, Jr.  Though not a complete surprise as Jerome had battled some health issues for some time, it is always still something of a shock when the inevitable finally does occur. I came to Indianapolis to show my love and support for my sister Michele and nephews, Jerome, Patrick, Christopher and William and to all of Jerome’s extended family and friends at this sad time for my family.

Upon arriving in Indianapolis, I learned even more tragic news as one of my childhood friends had very unexpectedly passed away. Patrick “Packy” Hoyt and I had been friends when I was a teenager and had once worked together at Hamaker Pharmacy. His sudden passing, leaving behind two young children was a punch in the gut to myself and so many of our friends who loved Packy. I had not seen him all that often in recent years, but he made a lifelong impact on me as one of the most wonderful and engaging people I have had the good fortune to know. My deepest sympathy to all of his friends and family. I am including the obituaries for both Jerome and Packy here. I will miss you both.

Jerome Noël, Jr., of Carmel, Indiana passed away on Nov. 20, 2018. He was born on January 20, 1950 in Indianapolis to H. Jerome Sr. and Louise Noël. He graduated from La Lumiere School in LaPorte, Indiana. He graduated in 1973 from Cornell University with a BS, and then an MBA in 1978. Jerome worked for Indiana Transit Service Inc, where he was the Corporate Secretary from 1978 to 1981. Also, in 1978, Jerome and his brother, Bill, founded Physician’s Practice Management. They ran PPM from 1978 until 1995, when they sold it to another company. He owned and ran Chaudiere Lodge, in Ontario Canada, near the Upper French River, from 1998 to 2009. Jerome also served on the Board of Director’s of PPM, the board of American Spoon Foods, the board of La Lumiere, where he was the Chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1992 to 1999.

Jerome is survived by his wife of 33 years, Michele; his children, H. Jerome Noël III, Patrick Noël, Christopher Noël, and William Noël; siblings, Louise (Robert) Malachowski, Nancy (George Mast) Noël, Irma (Jim Rand) Noël, William H. (Jane) Noël, and Carol (David Lohman) Noël; 2 nieces and 15 nephews; and many other family members and friends.

Patrick Stewart Hoyt "Packy", beloved father, son, husband, brother, uncle, friend, neighbor, and sales rep, achieved his number one goal on November 23, 2018 – he arrived in heaven and was welcomed into the loving arms of his Holy Father.

Born on May 5, 1969 to Judy and Dan Hoyt, Packy became the fourth child of nine, giving him four brothers and four sisters. He came into the world a fighter, surviving Hyaline Membrane Disease, and this trait of a fighter stayed with him until his death. Packy didn’t just exist, he was an active, passionate, and determined man who loved life to the fullest.

As an active member of Boy Scout Troop 174, Packy showed his desire to be above average: he sold more wreaths than the other boys –and earned his Eagle Scout and Fire Crafter in record time. It was in Scouts that Packy fell in love with the outdoors and, more specifically, with Colorado. After a skiing trip to Winter Park when he was 10, Packy declared he would one day live in the mountains.

Always the goal setter, Packy moved to Colorado after graduating college, first living in a tent and selling sunglasses at a shop in Winter Park and later building his own business, Hoyt Co., and living in his dream home in Golden, Colorado. Over the years, he achieved countless goals such riding his bike solo coast to coast and making it to the basecamp of Mount Everest.

Among Packy’s priorities was building solid relationships. He realized this throughout his schooling, his years at Camp Eberhart where Packy was a favorite counselor of countless campers, and on his travels around the world where he befriended all he met. The personal friendships he created and nurtured through his business were unprecedented. Those with whom he worked, accounts, vendors, and colleagues, were like family to him. With his deep integrity, he never sold a product he didn’t believe in wholeheartedly. Patrick was a devoted friend to all, and his contagious smile stayed with those he met long after he left. He will leave a deep void in his much-loved Mountain Ridge neighborhood.

But, above all else, at the center of Patrick’s life was his family. His two children, McCormick and Mary-Therese, provided him with his most cherished and favorite role, that of a father. Patrick gave his greatest self, his deepest love to his 2 beloved children. Jane, Patrick, and the kids lived faithful and active lives, spending time hiking, skiing, traveling, and, always, praying. Packy kept the cleanest house known to any of us, and he joked about creating his own reality TV show called “Pat’s Clean House.”

To sum up Packy’s life is like trying to grab all of the sand from a beach. He was a faithful son to his earthly parents but also to our God in heaven. He was generous to a fault and his love was enduring. We recognize that the enlarged heart that took his life from us also further symbolized the person Packy was – he LOVED. It is with sadness that we bury our treasured Packy, but it is also with great peace that we know we have an angel in heaven. 



In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution to the Hoyt family for the continuous education purpose of Patrick's children. Please make your check payable to Jane Hoyt and put Hoyt Children Fund in memo. Donations can be left at the church services or mailed to Ellis Family Services, Attn: Hoyt Family, P.O. 270334, Littleton, CO 80127.