By the family

April 1, 2026: It is with great sadness that the family of James Lytton Hockenberry, 73, announces his sudden and unexpected passing on March 22, 2026, at his home in Princeton, New Jersey.

Jim was born on August 2, 1952, to Frances and Raymond Hockenberry, in his beloved Bronxville, New York, where he graduated from Bronxville High School in 1970.  He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Lafayette College in 1974, and a master’s degree in business administration from Columbia University in 1976.

He began his business career with the “Big 8” accounting firm Arthur Young (now EY), where he became a certified public accountant, and four years later moved to W.R. Grace & Co’s corporate headquarters in New York City.  From there Jim spent fifteen years at Grace’s European headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, where he rose to the position of director of financial planning and analysis.  While in Switzerland, he enjoyed attending The Church of Scotland in Lausanne (“The Scots Kirk”) and acting with the English-speaking theater group The Village Players of Lausanne.

After leaving Grace, Jim returned to America, ultimately settling in Princeton, and held a number of senior executive financial positions at Ivex Packaging, Resources Global Professionals, the Mistras Group, and Integra LifeSciences. 

After leaving corporate America at age 55, Jim stayed active the rest of his life.  Redirecting his energies, he the studied the craft of thriller-fiction writing.  He independently published his award-winning World War One Intrigue Series: Over Here; Send the Word; and So Beware.  Being an author opened up a whole new world for him, and he continued to write the rest of his life, having completed six chapters of a new book at the time of his death. Jim also lectured extensively on World War One.

Jim had an innate sense of fairness and was always punctual.  Intellectual curiosity powered his thoughts, and reading was his joy.  His family and friends remember him for his thought-provoking holiday notes, his passion for history, and his creative mind.  He loved theater, a good show, and cats.  He sometimes said that he preferred the four-legged variety to the two-legged one.  Despite that quip, Jim centered his life around people and loved his family and many friends dearly.  Asked how he would like to be remembered, Jim responded by saying “I helped others along their path in life.”

Jim was involved in several organizations in the Princeton area and beyond: The Old Guard of Princeton; the Deutscher Club of Clark NJ; the World War One Historical Association; and The American Friends of Lafayette.  For many years he was a member of the Princeton Republication Club.  Jim was also a member of the Mystery Writers of America (MWA) and the International Thriller Writers (ITW) organizations.  The Financial Executives Networking Group (FENG) benefited from Jim’s professional expertise for many years, and he served as the leader of that group’s Princeton chapter for over twenty years.

Upon retirement, Jim also spent much time at the Princeton Fitness & Wellness Center which became an integral part of his regular routine.

Jim is survived by his siblings: John Fedden Hockenberry (Nina) of Sarasota, Florida; and Hope Hockenberry Yelich (Nolan) of Williamsburg, Virginia.  Also his niece Anna Yelich and her two daughters, Caitlyn and Caroline Dobrodziej; his nephews Mark Samuel Hockenberry (Anne) and his three children, Jane, Ben, and Emma; and Thomas Fedden Yelich (Madeleine) and his son, Lawrence.

The Mather-Hodge Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.  Jim’s funeral will take place on Saturday, April 11, in the Niles Chapel of the Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton.  A visitation period will begin at 1:00 pm and the service will start at 1:30 pm.  Burial will take place at the Princeton Cemetery immediately following the service.   

Instead of flowers, Jim had asked that, if so inclined, you consider a donation to SAVE, A Friend to Homeless Animals, located at 1010 Route 601, Skillman, NJ 08558, one of his favorite charities.