Leslie 'Les' Hogan, 89

Leslie "Les" Hogan passed away Jan. 3, 2023, four days before his 90th birthday. He was born in Los Angeles in 1933 to Lulu and Ray Hogan, the youngest of five children. During his childhood, his favorite activities were fishing, camping and athletics. After attending Westmont College and Pasadena City College, Les found his home at Whitworth College, where he played football and baseball. It was here he met his wife, Anna Mae, and established many lifelong friendships. Perhaps the importance of these early connections taught Les to value and make time for individual relationships.

At Whitworth, Les earned a B.A. and M.A. in education. Later, he earned his Ed.D. from WSU. His academic pursuits signaled the importance he placed on education and the development of his self-image as a teacher.

Early in Les’ career, he was a high school English teacher. Teaching English reflected a third value important to Les, communication. In his spare time Les tried his hand at poetry, journal writing and was at ease when speaking. These three principles, personal connection, teaching and communication were guiding values in all parts of his life.

Publicly, Les is known for his accomplishments in coaching and to a lesser degree his influence as a Dean of Students. When former students, athletes, or colleagues got in touch with Les and Anna Mae, their reminiscences were not about learning a wrestling technique. What they recalled was that Les took time to get to know them or put in a good word with one of his connections. They recalled that Les was a teacher and mentor who taught them how to be responsible caring adults through his words and his actions. Many of the wrestlers he coached achieved success in athletics. Many more individuals became adults whose lives were better, in part, because Les taught them the importance of showing up on time, doing their best, practicing difficult skills until mastered, respecting others and paying attention to details.

As a father those principles of relationships, education, and communication were present in his parenting. His interest in positive educational practices led him to ban negative statements in our home. He called them “killers” because he understood their effect on self-image. Reminders to speak correctly were ever present. A person’s misuse of “lay or lie” and “me or I” was quickly admonished.

Les never wrestled. He played football and baseball in high school and college. In his first teaching job in Connell, Wash., a wrestling program was needed. Faced with this challenge, he did what any educator would do. He read a book about wrestling, attended clinics, camps, and made contacts with other coaches. He applied the principles of teaching to coaching.

He led programs at Connell, Oak Harbor, North Central High School in Spokane and Dimond High School in Anchorage. He led college programs at North Idaho College (NIC), was an interim coach at WSU, and coached at Alaska Pacific University (APU) in Anchorage. He was instrumental in starting several of these programs. He excelled at taking a program from zero to a successful and often nationally known program. At NIC his team took 5th in their first national tournament and a couple years later won two consecutive NJCAA National Championships. In his first year at APU, the team was the runner up in the NAIA National Championships.

Les’ success as a coach led to several honors among which were North Idaho Coach of the Year, 1973, NJCAA Coach of the Year, 1975, NAIA Coach of the Year, 1987, Whitworth University Hall of Fame, 1995, Washington Wrestling Hall of Fame, 2003, National Wrestling Hall of Fame, 2010, and North Idaho College Hall of Fame, 2011.

Working in Alaska opened the door to a new adventure. Through a coaching connection made 20 years earlier, he was introduced to commercial salmon fishing. He eventually purchased a set-net site in a semi-remote location on Cook Inlet. There he was able to return to his early love of the outdoors and fishing. The Otter Creek fish camp was a place that brought family and friends together. The times spent together with children and grandchildren are some of our most valued family memories.

To be near friends and family, Les and Anna Mae retired to Spokane. While he was still able, Les volunteered with the wrestling program at North Central. He also had the chance to reconnect with his grandchildren. Even though language became difficult after a stroke, he never lost the desire to communicate and to connect with others. Even when he could no longer use words, he connected with his great-grandchildren by making funny faces, blowing kisses and playing tickle-toes.

He was loved and will be missed by his wife of 67 years, Anna Mae; his children Lynn Harding (Ray), Dan Hogan (Jo Marie) and Kerry Hogan (Tom); his grandchildren, Drew Harding (Rachel), Paige Lawson, (Dane) and Rachael Hogan; his great-grandchildren, Ellie and Hayden Harding and Summer Lawson.

If you would like to honor Les’ memory, take the time to mentor or teach, learn something new or connect with someone from the past who has been meaningful in your life.

A celebration of Les’ life will be held later. To be notified concerning the details, please leave your email address or phone number at leshoganmemorial@gmail.com.