Jim Hogan, publican / carmudgeon / sage of wisdom and beloved father shuffled off this mortal coil yesterday.
Born in Invercargill to Frank and Mae, Jim married Judith Going and together raised four boys, including me.
Gifted with an entrepreneurial streak, Jim was a tax office clerk, a TAB clerk, a publican, a “Mud Man” on the oil rigs, a cook, a fish and chip shop owner, a engineering office clerk, a motel manager, a miner, a taxi driver, and a property manager.
Blessed with a neverending one-liner and quip, he gave me his strong work ethic, my fantastic good looks, a love for mathematics and a healthy cynicism for government and the role of the state in throwing a spanner in everyone’s lives, by ever-manifesting, always blame-avoiding committee.
He used to say, in government, there’s never enough money to do a job well, but there’s always enough money to do it twice 🙂
However, when recently asked about his greatest life achievement his almost instant response was: “my sons”.
Rest in peace Mr Jim Hogan.
Loving son, James
