RIP KiwiRay (Raymond Charles (Poppa) Hocking) 01-16-1946 04-19-2014

It's always heartbreaking to hear the passing of forum member friends. Ray was a charming and entertaining character on truckingboards and was not ashamed to chronicle and share some of his life with us. We were all rooting for him!
Such heartbreaking and devastating news to here.

RIP Raymond Charles Hocking and yes, there is a Truckingboards in the sky....every time one of us members think about you....you have posted a reply to our hearts.
 
I am sorry to hear of Rays passing. I would like to say that maybe in His honor we might try to become a closer knit group.I never met Ray but he reminds me of my friend Chase who is from Australia who every time I see him he says to me "Allo' Mate".

He will be remembered kindly.
 
At the start of Forest Walk





At his daughters house.



Eldest Son Steve, wife Mary, Ray and grandchildren.


Linde on Forest Walk


I have more Pictures with 2 titled Grumpy, yet cannot get to transfer here.
Pictures are a bit before knee op.
 
Here's a e-mail Ray sent us in his lovable style and I have altered the trucker profanity:

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4/22/12
to me
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Hello my Dear Friends
Sorry to hear you had a bad turn Eric, you should get that checked cobber it ain't no fun to go all wobbly like that I can remember when I had a couple of black outs back when I had the Septicemia, I have no idea how long I was on the floor 1 minute, 10 or 20 I just remember coming around & thinking WTF am I doing down here, that blood pressure of yours needs looking at also, mind you when I first arrived at the hospital my BP was 15/15 so technically I was dead but I beat the buggers & am still here.
I would love to have known what my BP was on Saturday afternoon was after opening a letter from the hospital, they have informed me in the most polite way to go & get stuffed, we don't think your knee is as bad as you make it out to be goodbye. To say I was pissed off, man I would have ripped there heads off if I could have got hold of them so called Clinicians, that's the trouble with the world now days everything is run by stringing bean counters who like to play god, some icehole must of looked at my file & said Nah give him more pills, that's the trouble with shifting down here to Hamilton I have had to change health boards, when I was in Auckland I was in the system well & truly after my hip replacement, back op, & Septicemia I was one of the gang so to speak, but down here I have to start from square one, never mind I will just keep going to the Doctor & getting refered & keep nagging at the bastards.
I have not heard from Mark for a week but last time I spoke he said all was going well, he seems to be getting good regular work & I think it's next week he will get his first paycheck so that will be interesting, I know Mark is pissed off that he can't work the stupidly long hours he used to because the Company has put GPS in all the trucks & notifies them when they are close to running out of hours, I am still waiting for some pictures of the truck & when I get some I will forward you some, I have attached some pics for you to see, they are the same ones I posted on the TB, 1 is the lemon tree in our back yard my Daughter calls it the Corona tree she comes & takes a bag of lemons every week to go with her Corona beer, the other 2 are of the back yard & me plus one of Linde & Aidan take note of the lovely clear blue sky, that's what it's been like since we have moved down here.
Linde had here eldest Grand son come down & stay with us for 5 days bloody hell he's a nutter like his Mum & Dad (true to the family line) he never sits still & never stops talking, he arrived last Monday & after about 20 minutes of him dribbling shyte I said, look Aidan why don't you go out the back & play, he said no way it's very dangerous outside my Mum said someone could come & take me away, great bloody parents the kid has, he's almost 9 & never go's outside all he ever doe's is TALK read, TV, play station he has a younger brother 3 who is the same, you know down here in NZ if you want a gun,car, dog you have to sit a test & get a license but if you want kids no worries just go & screw yourself silly & produce as many as you like the state will provide, those two kids live on takeaways because Mommy is to busy on the Internet to cook, clean & look after the kids, I took him back to Auckland last Friday with Linde & when we got to his house Linde said are you coming in, I said your flipping joking! I tell you Eric I have been in some crappy work sheds & caravans on work sites & eaten my lunch in them, but they were like the Hilton hotel compared to Aidan's house jeez I wouldn't send my worst enemy into there no wonder they are always sick, as I said I have never been inside but have been told public toilets are cleaner than theirs, I left Linde in Auckland & she stayed at her other Daughter Megan's (the normal sane one of the family) & she is coming home tomorrow, she stayed up there so she could see her Mum,Brother & a good friend of hers so I have had a lovely peaceful few days home here on my own, being a lazy basted that I am I got my self a six pack of steak & cheese pies so that's whats been for dinner every night, I can cook if I have to but what the hell take it easy & stick a pie in the microwave & nuke it.
Well that's about all that's been happening down here, I do hope you get checked out by the Dr & all is well & I also hope Kay gets checked out all fit & well, you both realise you will get the Ole stop smoking & start running & all the usual bullspit from the Dr which some of it is true but hey we are all not perfect I think if I could afford it I would go back smocking after 22 yrs but with smokes being $26nz a pack I don't think so, any way look after yourselves & I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Lotsa luv to you both. Ray
xxxx

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