John L. Hoag, 53

August 28, 1968 - July 16, 2022

John Lawrence Hoag, 53, of Lititz, passed away, Saturday, July 16, 2022, at Hershey Medical Center, following a brief illness. Born in Evansville, IN, he was the son of Dagmar (Wholert) Hoag and the late William L. Hoag. John was the loving husband of Najiba Benabess, with whom he celebrated 22 years of marriage.

A very talented artist, John attended Indiana University’s Herron School of Art, 1989-1991, received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Studio Art, 1994, at the University of Southern Indiana, Evansville, IN, and earned his Master of Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing, 1997 at The University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN.

During his distinguished career, he taught art at numerous universities, including the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN and taught as part of adjunct faculty for Indiana University; ITESM, Guadalajara, Mexico; Upper Iowa University, Milwaukee, WI; Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, Milwaukee, WI; University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI; University of Wisconsin Washington County, West Bend, WI; University of Wisconsin, Waukesha, WI; Norwich University, Northfield, VT; and Millikin University, Decatur, IL. John also lectured across the country and globally. He was publicized numerous times in the Shepherd Express, Milwaukee, WI, Lancaster Daily Journal, Lancaster, OH, the Hammond Times, Hammond, IN, and Southern Indiana Review, Evansville, IN.

John earned many awards for his artistic talent including: Best Portrait – Art in the Round Barn, Warren, VT; Best of Show – Pastel and Charcoal on Paper, Beloit, WI; Award of Excellence – Oil on Canvas, Rhinelander, WI; Award of Excellence – Mixed Media on Paper, St. Louis Gallery; Merit Award – Painting, South Bend, IN; Award of Distinction – Painting, Northern Indiana Artist Association University Show; Best of Show – Drawing, 2nd Annual Northern Indiana Artist Association; 2nd Place – Painting, St. Francis College; Merit Award – Painting, Northern Indiana Artist Association; Award of Distinction – Drawing Excellence, Northern Indiana Artist Association; Best of Painting, Midwest Museum of American Art; Honorable Mention – Drawing, John G. Blank Center for Arts; Best of Drawing, Midwest Museum of American Art; Merit Award Drawing, University of Southern Indiana; Best of Show – Drawing, “East Meets West”, Evansville Museum, Evansville, IN; Merit Award – Drawing, University of Southern Indiana; Merit Award – Wood Sculpture, University of Southern Indiana; Best Printmaking Award, University of Southern Indiana; Best of Show – Drawing, University of Southern Indiana; and Dolphin Paper Award – Printmaking, Herron School of Art.

During his professional career, he installed relief sculptures, constructed lighting, fiber optics, and made repairs to the College Football Hall of Fame, South Bend, IN; and worked as a scenic artist in the making of “A League of Their Own”, starring Madonna, Tom Hanks, and Gena Davis.

John’s greatest love was his wife and family. In addition to his wife, Najiba and mother, Dagmar, he is survived by his loving sons: Cezanne, Elyas, and Nezar, all at home; and three brothers: Michael, Hanz, and Bali, all of Indiana.

A gathering to celebrate John’s life will be held from 10AM to 12PM, Saturday, July 30, 2022, at the Spacht-Snyder Family Funeral Home, 127 S. Broad St., Lititz, PA 17543. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in John’s memory be made to Mental Health America of Lancaster County, 245 Butler Avenue, Suite 204, Lancaster, PA 17601.