The heart of Reardan

REARDAN–Pat Hogan found his life's calling in serving others. His joy is infectious, and his encouragement knows no bounds. But it wasn't always like that.

As a child growing up on Waukon Road, east of town, Hogan had to compete with a bottle for his father's attention. Alcohol in his home made his childhood "painful."

After attending school in Edwall for eight years, he transferred to Reardan for the ninth grade. During his sophomore year, his father, driving drunk, hit a train and was hospitalized.

Hogan moved to Spokane and attended Rogers High School to be near him.

A year later, upon his father's discharge from the hospital, Hogan returned to Reardan. He immersed himself in school activities as an escape from his unstable home life.

"I loved school," Hogan said. "One year I was named the class clown in the annual."

Besides his knack for making his classmates laugh, Hogan was an accomplished gymnast who showed his skills by performing flips at school dances.

His sophomore year he met Sharon, who shared his love of dancing.

"Sharon and I were dubbed 'Mr. and Mrs. Dance' in the annual that year," Hogan said.

"He was a class clown and somewhat of a troublemaker," Sharon Hogan said. "He did nothing malicious or illegal but got in with the wrong crowd."

They married after graduating in 1969.

As a child, Hogan dreamed of being a police officer. That ambition was set aside at the birth of his children.

"Pat did everything he could to support our family," Sharon said. "He was a hard worker and picked up any odd job he could find."

During the next decade he worked as a janitor, truck driver, machinist, laborer and at the Reardan Grain Growers.

"I worked odd jobs until I was called to the ministry when I was thirty-eight years old," he said.

After completing a correspondence course through Berean Bible College, Hogan accepted a position at a church in Davenport at age 40.

Then, an accident struck.

"In 1996 I was on a ladder working on the roof of the church," he said. "I did a backflip off the ladder and cracked my skull on the cement."

Hogan was airlifted via helicopter to a Spokane hospital. By the time he arrived, he was spitting up blood and his head had swollen to the size of a basketball.

"I was unrecognizable," he said.

His family gathered at his bedside to say their last goodbyes.

Overcoming all odds, he survived and was released from the Intensive Care Unit and Brain Trauma Unit after three months.

Hogan returned to the ministry and worked as a pastor in Cheney and Tacoma for the next 20 years.

In 2016 he retired from the ministry and returned to Reardan to care for his ailing mother.

After she passed he took a job as a school bus driver because he "needed something to do."

He soon realized his mission at the school was to touch people's lives.

One of his mantras is, "It's all about the kids."

In the school's halls and on the playing field, Hogan greets each student with encouraging words and fist bumps. At games, players acknowledge his unsolicited coaching advice and uplifting banter with a smile.

Coach Matt Clouse presented a plaque to Hogan for being a "Crucial Contributor" to the 2022 baseball team.

"Pat is all about kids," Clouse said. "They love it when he drives them to games. He takes pictures that he shares with the kids. He loves chatting them up whether they win or lose. He is a real servant."

In 2020-21, the volleyball team honored Hogan with a sweatshirt and cowboy hat, designating him as their number one fan.

"Pat has been super influential to me," senior Emma Flaa said. "He encourages me to have goals and reminds me that I'm not playing for myself or for the fans, but that I'm playing to glorify God."

Besides his work with the school, Hogan has volunteered as a police chaplain with the Spokane Police Department and with Teen Challenge.

"My passion is to help families who are grieving," he said, "and to give hope to those whose lives have been destroyed by drugs and alcohol."

With self-deprecating humor, Hogan pondered why anyone "would be interested in an old, fat guy like me."

"Life is never as bad as it looks," he said. "I was a son of an alcoholic and was a troublemaker. I had nothing to offer anyone. Now my goal is to encourage kids to do anything they want. Don't ever let life destroy your hope."