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Friends, family remember Hockenberry’s positivity

Hockenberry

Co-workers and family members are remembering Tammy Hockenberry as a positive, friendly person.

Hockenberry, 52, Altoona, died Friday at UPMC Altoona after being injured when a shed rolled on top of her and co-worker Bruno Allison outside of Blair Companies Millwork and Fixtures, 4100 Industrial Park Drive.

“In Tammy, we have lost a valued and respected member of our team. She was always positive, friendly and willing to help in any way,” said Blair Companies President/CEO Philip Devorris. “When I would walk through the factory, she was one of the people I would look for. If there was an issue on something to be improved, she was not bashful about saying it,” he said. “She always had a smile — she was always positive. That always inspired me. We’re really a close family at Blair and everyone is affected by this loss.”

Devorris said Hockenberry remained positive following the Jan. 12, 2018, death of her boyfriend, Ben Ostrander.

Ostrander was also a Blair employee.

Allison was one of Hockenberry’s closest friends at Blair.

“She was one of the nicest people I ever met in my life. A super girl with a heart of gold,” Allison said. “She went out of her way to help anyone who needed it. She was always there for me or anyone who needed her.”

Wayde Noel was another co-worker and close friend.

“She was just a pretty amazing person that was always there to listen and make you laugh and wasn’t afraid to tell you like it was,” Noel said.

Family members said Hockenberry was a family-oriented person.

“She was more like a sister to me than a cousin,” said cousin Terrie Johnson of Altoona. “I grew up with her. We were together all the time when we were younger. We always stayed in touch. She was a hard worker. She was outspoken, she didn’t candy-coat anything. When I needed her, she was there and kept telling me ‘you know I am here for you.'”

Johnson said Hockenberry was “a good-hearted person.”

“We had been through many things together,” Johnson said. “We had each others back in any situation.”

Hockenberry’s niece, Ashley Hockenberry, was also close to her Aunt Tammy.

“When I was young, she had custody of me and my brother for about three years. She was so kind and was always trying to help people. She was very close with my daughter (Sadie, 1). For the last year, she lived for my daughter. She always helped me with her,” Ashley Hockenberry said. “When I needed help, she would drop what she was doing and help me. She was the type of person who gave everyone the benefit of the doubt. She saw the good in everybody.”

Darlene Banks of McAlisterville, Tammy’s aunt, said her niece was a wonderful person.

“She was always doing things for people. She had a lot of friends. We were very close. Any time anything happened, she was the one to call,” Banks said.

A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. today at The Good Funeral Home. Burial will take place at Alto-Reste Park.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 946-7467.

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