Mary Jane Hocker, of Brentwood, Tennessee, formerly of Owensboro, Kentucky, passed away Thursday, August 5, 2021. She was born in Frankfort, the fourth child and only daughter of the late Doty Nunley and Valeria Hughes Nunley, and was the apple of her mother’s eye. A graduate of Frankfort High School, she was a cheerleader, selected as May Queen of Frankfort High School, played in the marching band, and played saxophone with Tony’s Tooters dance band. Following graduation from Frankfort High School, she accepted a piano scholarship at Kentucky Wesleyan College where she was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority. Ms. Hocker was a member of Settle Memorial United Methodist Church and a former member of The Cotillion Club, The Junior League of Owensboro, and the Women’s Guild, formerly the Hospital Guild. An accomplished snow skier, she loved the time she spent skiing in Aspen, Colorado.
Ms. Hocker is survived by her children, Valeria Hocker Ball, of Brentwood, Tennessee, D. Talmage Hocker and his wife, Rosemary, of Louisville, Kentucky, and Margaret Hocker Johnson and her husband, David, of Brentwood, Tennessee; her grandchildren, Brittney Thompson (Justin), D. Talmage Hocker, Jr. (Molly), Hunter T. Ball (Blair), William H. Ball (Lauren), D. Harrison Johnson, Clay D. Johnson, Mary Grace Johnson, Margaret “Maggie” Johnson, and B. Ford Johnson; her great-grandchildren, Rosemary Thompson, Elizabeth Thompson, Tillman Ball, Ramsey Ball, and Reagan Ball; and her nieces, Susan Nunley Heren and Rita Nunley Reedy. She was preceded in death by her brothers, Tom Nunley, Hughes Nunley, and Church Nunley.
The funeral service for Ms. Hocker will be on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory, where friends may call from 12:00 p.m. until the time of the funeral service. Entombment will follow in Christ Chapel Mausoleum at Owensboro Memorial Gardens. Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to Kentucky Wesleyan College. Memories and messages of condolence may be shared with the family of Mary Jane Hocker at www.glenncares.com.