THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 8, 1997 TAG: 9701080357
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Guy Friddell
LENGTH: 66 lines
When H.C. Hoy was a farm boy in Franklin County, he was so good-natured his father called him Hap for the comic strip's Happy Hooligan, who wore a perpetual smile.
Smiles abounded during a recent party celebrating Hap Hoy's 50th year with Hoy Construction. In a lull, he submitted to an interview marked by exceedingly short answers.
He might have ended up being a farmer, he said, but World War II dislodged him. He got into the Air Force.
``I was in the infantry and I wanted to do anything to get out of it,'' he said.
Did flying suit him?
``I fell in love with it.''
Why?
``It was the feeling of release.''
He took to the air with such elan that when he finished training as a pilot, he spent three years instructing others how to fly.
After the war he was midway along learning bookkeeping at the National Business College in Roanoke when his uncle, L.J. Hoy, asked him to join the construction company in Norfolk.
He hadn't finished school, Hap objected.
``Come on down, and if you don't like it, you can leave,'' his uncle coaxed.
``I liked it.''
Four months later, in 1947, he married Nancy Clark.
As a member of the Air Force Reserves, he was recalled Jan. 9, 1951, to active duty in Korea, where he flew 100 missions in an unarmed reconnaissance plane.
Was it stressful?
``A little,'' he said. ``I was shot at a lot and couldn't shoot back.''
He was by himself?
``Most of time. Sometimes they gave you a fighter escort, and it would run low on fuel and have to leave you.''
So then what did he do?
``Went on alone,'' he said.
And suppose the MiGS came?
``Your plane was slower, but you could turn inside of them and get down close to the ground.''
Which period of service gave him the most satisfaction?
``Korea, probably. I felt like I was actually doing something.''
Back home, he got into drawing plans, then managing projects. He became president in 1972.
His first job was the Talbot Park Baptist Church. Over the years, he did more than 300 church projects.
For his civic work, especially with youths, he was named First Citizen in Norfolk last year.
Beryl Love, executive director of Scouting's Tidewater Council, showed up at the party.
``What are you doing here?' Hoy demanded.
``To give you this!'' he said, holding up a huge carved staff honoring Hoy for winning Scouting's top citation, the Silver Beaver Award.
``I don't need it,'' snapped Hoy.
But he took it, anyway, to prolonged applause from his friends. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
H.C. Hoy looks back: ``I was in the infantry, and I wanted to do
anything to get out of it.''