William Hochman Obituary

Hochman
WILLIAM R. HOCHMAN
August 28, 1921 March 23, 2019
William R. "Bill" Hochman passed away in Colorado Springs at 97 years of age on March 23, 2019. He was born in New York City on August 28, 1921 to Julius and Ruth Hochman.
He is survived by his wife, Nancy (Colorado Springs) and five children, Abigail, Meg, and John (California), Timothy (Denver), and Michael (Washington, D.C.). His former wife, Margaret, daughter Dean, and sister Lenore preceeded him in death. Bill was a grandfather to eleven and great-grandfather to seven.
Educated in New York at the Lincoln School, he earned his undergraduate degree from Columbia College in 1942. He later earned his Ph.D in American History from Columbia University.
Bill Hochman enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942 and served as a communications officer and assistant navigator on ships that were involved in the U.S. war efforts off of North Africa, in the landings at Sicily and Salerno, and in the D-Day invasion of Normandy. The sinking of his ship in the English Channel and his eventual rescue by the British Navy were foundational events for him and helped shaped his world view, his passion for peace, and his desire to educate others.
Bill came to Colorado Springs in 1953 as a young historian for the U.S. Air Force and later taught at the University of Colorado's Extension Program, the precursor of the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.
He joined the History Department faculty at Colorado College in March 1955 and has been closely associated with the College for the past 64 years - serving as a professor, department head, dean of the summer school, and mentor to thousands of students, faculty, and colleagues.
Bill had a passion for teaching American history and the classics - especially the works of Plato, Sophocles, Madison, and Jefferson. He loved teaching about the Bill of Rights, civil liberties, and constitutional principles. He was a long-time teacher and organizer of Colorado College's Freedom and Authority program. He also founded a program on war and peace studies and was a frequent speaker at local civic and bar association gatherings.
Bill Hochman also taught for several summers at the University of California at Berkeley, served as Secretary for Colorado's Democratic Party in the 1960s, and was a delegate to four Democratic National Conventions. Bill was also, in his later years, a proud volunteer instructor at the Zebulon Pike Youth Services Center in Colorado Springs and stalwart supporter and teacher at the PILLAR Institute for Lifelong Learning.
Bill Hochman won numerous prizes for his teaching, advising, and service to the Colorado College. A former student of his honored Bill by establishing the William R. Hochman Endowed Professorship of History. He was proud to be the founder, manager, and long-time pitcher of the College's faculty-staff softball team, which he named "Mind and Body".
He was still giving guest lectures in classes at Colorado College this fall and, on February 13, 2019, just weeks before his death, he spoke to a packed seminar sponsored by the Colorado Springs World Affairs Council. His talk, like so many others, earned him a standing ovation.
A memorial service celebrating his remarkable life and legacy will be held at Colorado College's Shove Chapel on May 11 at 3:00, to be followed by a reception.
In lieu of flowers, and in honor of one of Bill's favorite pastimes, donations can be made in Bill's memory to the Intramural Sports fund at Colorado College. Gifts can be made at www.coloradocollege.edu/give or mailed to Colorado College, P.O. Box 1117, Colorado Springs, CO 80901. Please reference "IM Sports" with your gift.