Dorothy Agnes Hoehn, a dedicated educator who taught generations of elementary, high

school and college students, passed away on March 22, 2026, at the Nazareth Home in

Louisville where she had resided briefly. She was 107 years old.

A dear aunt, cousin and neighbor, Dorothy influenced the lives of many and leaves a legacy of

accomplishment. She once said, “I loved the kids. I would have worked on Saturday if they

opened the door.”

Born December 22, 1918, at the Hoehn farm near Borden, Indiana, shortly after the WWI

armistice and before women could vote, Dorothy lived there nearly all of her life, proud of the

farm’s Hoosier Homestead heritage designation.

Initially schooled at home by her mother, also a teacher, Dorothy attended Memphis

Elementary School and graduated from Silver Creek High School. During high school, she

discovered her remarkable talent for typing, winning competitions for speed and accuracy. She

asked her parents to buy her a typewriter, an Underwood manual, so she could practice at

home. Dorothy studied at Central Normal College in Danville, Indiana, for two years earning an

Intermediate Grammar Grade Certificate and began her teaching career in 1937 at Memphis

Elementary during the Depression. She was 18 and taught third and fourth grades in a single

classroom for $800 a year.

Three years later, she decided to teach in Madison Township near South Bend, Indiana after

visiting a close friend there. On the weekends, they traveled by train to Chicago enjoying

shopping at Marshall Field’s and going to shows. When she returned home, she took a teaching

position at Chestnut Street Elementary School in Jeffersonville.

During those years, Dorothy completed her Bachelor of Science degree taking summer courses

at Indiana University in Bloomington where she made lifelong connections in the field of

business education.

When WWII began, Dorothy joined the faculty at Jeffersonville High School where she would

spend the next forty years teaching typing, shorthand, and bookkeeping and rising to chair the

commercial department. Many students will recall the sound of Royal manual typewriters in

her classroom. In the evenings, she taught at the Indiana University Extension Center in

downtown Jeffersonville.

Dorothy completed her Master of Science degree at Indiana University, plus an additional 30

hours. She actively participated in professional organizations always seeking to improve the

quality and relevance of the commercial curriculum particularly with the evolution of

technology. Dorothy served as President of the Indiana Business Educators Club, earned the

Kentuckiana Outstanding Business Teacher award in 1975, and was a life member of Delta Pi

Epsilon business education honorary. She was a charter member of the Indiana Business

Educators Association, which in 1982 voted her Indiana’s Outstanding Business Educator of the

Year. Recognizing her leadership and contributions, the Association wrote, “Never one to rest

on past achievements, Dorothy makes every effort to keep abreast of new developments and

directions in business education by attending seminars, formal university course work, and

professional meetings. Her success as a classroom teacher is documented by the number of

her students who have received various state, national and even international awards.”

By the time Dorothy retired in the early 1980’s, her students were learning computer keyboards

and word processing. Dorothy’s department at JHS was regarded as one of the best in the

Louisville region.

Retirement did not slow her down. For twenty years, Dorothy volunteered at the Kentucky

Center for the Performing Arts, stayed active in Delta Kappa Gamma education honorary and

retired teachers’ groups, traveled and socialized with her University of Louisville faculty friends,

and for many years worked at the St. Joe Turkey Shoot. Dorothy was a second generation

American with a keen interest in her Irish and Alsatian French roots. She played a central role

in compiling the Hoehn family genealogy and helped organize memorable reunions including

one when Hoehn cousins traveled from France to meet their American cousins for the first

time. She treasured visits, letters and calls from former students.

Above all, Dorothy had a world view and kept up with current events. Conversant in national

and international issues, she was still watching the news and reading newspapers a few days

before she passed.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, Agnes (Goss) and Louis Hoehn, and her

brother, Elmer Hoehn. She is survived by her niece Kathleen (Hoehn) Gillmore; nephew Patrick

Hoehn (Gina); great nephews Cory Hoehn (Heather) and Kyle Hoehn (Melanie); and great great

nieces and nephews Zoe, Jackson, Kylie and Carson Hoehn.

Visitation will be held at 4-8 pm on Tuesday, April 14 at Garr Funeral Home, 7806 Hwy 311,

Sellersburg, Indiana. There will also be a short visitation beginning at 9 am the next morning

until procession to the church. A funeral mass celebrating Dorothy’s life is scheduled for 10:30

am Wednesday, April 15 at St. Joe Hill Chapel, 2605 W. St. Joe Road, Sellersburg.

The family extends sincere, heartfelt gratitude to all those who helped Dorothy including her

neighbors Kent and Jeanetta Hamm, home health care professionals Chris Burnett and Jennifer

Hess, and caregivers Angie Tucker, Layla Thomas, Susan Garcia, Rose Gibson and Kathryn

Spainhour.

Memorial contributions honoring Dorothy may be made to St. John Paul II Catholic Church,

Music Ministry, 2253 W. St. Joe Road, Sellersburg, Indiana 47172, or the organization of your

choice.