Elizabeth A. Hoskins (1947-2022)

HOSKINS, DAGGETT

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 5/27/2022 at 08:55:10

Elizabeth A. Hoskins completed a life of helping others on January 27, 2022. She was 73.

A dedicated spouse, mom, nana and friend, aunt and great aunt, Liz took great pleasure in doing whatever her family needed. She loved to fold laundry, wash windows, do dishes and make stroganoff. Always a kid at heart, Liz would host a tea party on the floor, get out the art supplies, paint and draw while wearing a silly hat, make her famous buttered popcorn and then read bedtime stories to any little ones who were still awake.

Liz served the Cedar Rapids area community as both a professional and a volunteer. Throughout her career, no matter where she worked, she helped many successfully find their way.

In 1997, Liz was tapped to serve as Corporate Management Development Director for DeLaRue PLC in Basingstoke, United Kingdom. For almost two years she was thrilled to do two things she loved the most—travel and mentor young people.

When she returned to the states, Liz put her passion and advocacy skills for women and families to work as Executive Director of Waypoint. She strategically led Waypoint staff and volunteers in providing shelter and food for those finding themselves without, helping those immobilized by sexual assault and domestic violence and providing lower cost daycare so that families could afford to work while knowing their children were well-cared for.

With her long-term vision, Liz helped position the organization for the future by initiating the disaffiliation of the organization from YWCA USA, rebranding it as Waypoint and subsequently, for the first time ever, welcoming men as members of its Board of Directors. She established the AEGON childcare partnership in three locations, eventually offering childcare to the general public, and helped lead the statewide effort to regionalize the delivery of domestic violence services.

Liz and her team continued to care for Waypoint clients during and after the 2008 flood that left behind $1.2 million in damages to the organization’s buildings. Never defeated, the team brought the building back to life and then took the opportunity to find funding for the renovation of its beautiful core building that was constructed in 1911.

Liz especially loved bringing together Waypoint volunteers, donors and the community during the Christmas holiday to ensure that every child and mother who needed them, received gifts. Many years she plowed through snowbanks in her stocking cap and boots to help unload carloads of donated gifts, carried food and coffee to those helping sort and wrap, and hugged and cried tears of joy with mothers who came to Waypoint to shop for their families. She continually cheered and applauded the volunteers and staff who she always said were the people who really made it all happen.

As a 10+ year United Way of East Central Iowa Board Member, Liz helped raise and allocate funds and led the development of the first ever Days of Caring in Cedar Rapids. Liz also earned the nickname “Fang” in this role because of her dedication to ensuring corporate sponsorship of the 1996 Olympic Torch community celebration didn’t overwhelm UW of ECI’s community building priorities.

Liz’s final effort in helping others was challenging her care providers to learn and grow from the impact Alzheimer’s Disease had on her in her final years. While no two people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s are the same, Liz would want any lessons learned from assisting her through her experience to be used to help provide even more effective care for others. (She would say that learning to anticipate a left hook from a left-hander should be at the top of the list.)

Liz is survived by many whom she loved and who loved her, including, but never limited to: her spouse and partner of 27 years, Sondy Daggett; her children: Matt Hoskins (Robyn Ross) and Lisa O’Donnell (Matt) and Sara Hefflefinger-Hoskins, her forever daughter-in-law. Her grandchildren: Allie, Olivia, Cooper and Bella Hoskins; Michaela and Kierian O’Donnell. Her brother, David Suter (Dawn) and sister Cynthia Newell (Dave). Her nieces: M Newell, Amy Newell-Gjerde (Eric) and namesake Elizabeth Newell-Fisher (Tony); her nephew, John Newell (Cheryl), and her great-nieces: Lily, Josie, Grace, Elizabeth, Caroline, Madeline, Anna, Marie and Helen.

Also surviving Liz are many cousins and long-time friends: Debbie and John Poulter, Jim Kern, Ann Larson and Tim LaHiff, Liz and Dana Christensen, Lisa Waterbury, Kristen Schrader, Dave and Linda Langston, Cari and Russ Neault, Troy and Deann Cook, Matt Paul, Bob Smith. And, former spouse, Don Hoskins, and Janet Johnson.

Liz loved to be surrounded by family and friends, preferably on a beach or the porch. She was an accomplished pianist and loved classical music, ballet, the study of history, live theatre and traveling. She was a photographer, a voracious reader and a so-so gambler. She loved light in all forms—from fireflies to the moon and stars to summer evenings at dusk. But she especially loved the light she felt emanating from others for whom she knew life hadn’t been easy. It came naturally to her to help keep their light burning by offering a listening ear, a kind word, a family meal or an important job to be done.

Special thanks to:
Jacobi Feckers who so lovingly guided us through the maelstrom of memory care. Every. Day.

Dr. Jill Flory and her Family Medicine Specialists staff who always responded and who always made time to ensure that both Liz and Sondy were well-cared for.

Judy, Natasha, Stephanie and the entire team of St. Croix Hospice who helped keep Liz comfortable and Sondy calm all for an interminable length of time.

And finally, to our Bickford of Marion family, including Barb Colby, who took us into their hearts and cared for Liz and our family as if we were their own.

Contributions in Liz’s name should be made to: Catherine McCauley Center, 1220 5th Ave SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403.

A Celebration of Liz’s life will be held on Sunday, February 6, 2022, 11:00am, at the Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories, with a one hour public visitation starting at 10:00am. A livestream of the funeral service may be accessed on the funeral home website under the obituary for Liz, under the video tab starting at 11:00 on Sunday, February 6, 2022.