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I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds: for every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills." - Psalms 50:9-10
He was a poor Oklahoma-born farm boy, so shy he couldn't meet eyes with anybody who spoke to him.
Before he died, Lloyd Hokit towered over the awe-eyed children he taught at Valley Oaks Charter School.
They called him Farmer Hokit, said fellow agrucultural teacher Lorrie Roberts. They used to stare at him, even if he talked about a tree, she said.
Hokit died Saturday of liver cancer. He was 71.
He taught agriculture at South High School and West High School, said his wife, Pat Hokit. He served as chairman of the agriculture department at Bakersfield College. He also was a member of the Kern County Fair Board.
He was born in Tuskahoma, Okla., in 1934. His family moved to McFarland in 1945.
He grew up picking cotton, potatoes and grapes.
In high school, he met a teacher who would coax him out of his shell.
The teacher gave him an animal to feed and care for. His steer's first-place win at a Fresno livestock show cemented his path, his wife said.
Hokit was drawn to students who, much like his younger self, were at risk of fading into the background.
Hokit retired in 1994 from the college, where he taught animal husbandry. He joined the charter school five years ago to build an agriculture program.
He helped create a farm that includes vegetable gardens and pens of small livestock, including lambs and rabbits.
When his body gave out in the past few months, the staff bought him a wheelchair and rolled him around "Hokit Farm." They knew he could still contribute with his mind, his wife said.
He loved to repeat the cattle verse from Psalms 50, she recalled.
"In other words, God wants to provide for us," she remembered him tell others.
"And because Lloyd was a cattleman, he loved that."
Graveside services will be held in Greenlawn Memorial Park, 3700 River Blvd., Thursday, March 16, at 9:30 a.m. with a Memorial services to follow at Calvary Bible Church, 48 Manor Dr., at 11:00 a.m. Rev. Doug Davis will officiate.
Mrs. Hokit was born on March 20, 1934, in Tuscahoma, Oklahoma to Guy and Vivian Hokit who have preceded him in death.
The family moved to McFarland, CA in 1945, where Lloyd attended McFarland Elementary and High School. He graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. His teaching career started at South High, West High and Bakersfield College teaching agriculture. At Bakersfield College he then became Dept. Chairman.
Mr. Hokit is survived by his wife of 49 years, Patsy Hokit of Bakersfield; son and daughter-in-law, Jeffrey and Laurie Hokit of San Luis Obispo; daughter, Jennifer Hokit; grandson, Nathan Hokit, both of Bakersfield; grandson, Maxwell Hokit of San Luis Obispo; brother, Donald Hokit of San Luis Obispo; sister and brother-in-law, Louise and Lanny Green of Hawaii and brother-in-law, Jim Day of Sacramento.
No visitation is scheduled.
Greenlawn Mortuary
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