A longtime music teacher, a swimming coach with four of his winning teams and a retired engineer publishing an online newsletter will be immortalized into the Green River High School Hall of Fame Friday.
During the halftime show taking place at the Green River and Riverton football game, the inductees will be introduced to the crowd. Two of this year’s new Green River High School Hall of Fame inductees, Bill Hoyt and Mark Hoffman, will be honored at halftime. Both inductees have spent much of their lives in Green River, a town that will always hold a place in their hearts.
Mark Hoffman
“This is home,” inductee Mark Hoffman said. “We love coming back here.”
Hoffman is a 1958 graduate of Lincoln High School. He now lives part-time in Green River and part-time in Grand Forks, N.D. He retired from an engineering firm in Grand Forks, N.D. after 30 years of employment, all the while returning to his hometown every summer. He now spends much of his time in Green River over the summer months with his wife Jan.
About 14 years ago, Hoffman started a weekly email newsletter, “Lincoln High Mirth and Missives.” Last Friday, he published the 780th issue. The purpose of the weekly newsletter is shared communication and memories between classmates who graduated high school in Green River in the 1950s.
“It’s a lot of fun to reminisce,” Hoffman said. “I’ve heard members say ‘This is neat. I look forward to this every Friday. People get upset if they don’t have it in time for their morning coffee.”
The newsletter has about 320 members and many of them are active in submitting personal stories and memories to share with the group. Hoffman gathers all of the emails from members each week and compiles them into the newsletter for all to see, then adds his own comments and stories as well.
“This wouldn’t go any place without participation,” Hoffman said. “It’s an honor to be nominated, but I wasn’t looking for any kudos for this.”
Bill Hoyt
“I miss the teaching,” Bill Hoyt said.
Hoyt has been a staple in the Green River community for decades. He was a music teacher for the school district for 46 years. He started as a music teacher in Green River in 1967.
“I was the music department,” he said.
He taught music for all of the elementary and middle school classes. He later devoted himself to the elementary schools. Although retired now, you would never know it with how involved he still is in Green River’s music community.
He stays active. He substitute teaches when he can and this year marks his 25th year singing in the community choir. He’s been a member of two local music groups for more than a decade as well: Sweetwater Sounds, a big-band group, and DQYDJ, an acronym for Don’t Quit Your Day Job. DQYDJ is made of mostly Green River music teachers. The funny thing for him now is, he did quit his day job. He decided the acronym still works for him though, because he “done quit my day job.” He also plays the music for his church. He’s also started up a weekly music jam session with a few other local residents at Golden Hour Senior Center, which takes place every Monday afternoon.
“My activities have not decreased. It’s good for the mind, it’s good for the soul, it’s good for the body,” Hoyt said. “No matter what form of music you enjoy, just do it. It’s just part of you, no matter what.”
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