Richard Harrison Hoyt, a local basketball star, known to his friends and fans as Rich or Richie Hoyt, passed away August 31, 2022, at the age of 83. Hoyt was born April 24, 1939, in Mount Vernon to John and Mary Sargent Hoyt and was a student-athlete who attended Mount Vernon High School.
Upon graduation, Hoyt studied and played at Ohio State University on a basketball scholarship. As a Buckeye, Hoyt was a member of the 1960 Ohio State University NCAA Championship basketball team. He went on to receive his MBA at OSU and moved on to a long career at Nationwide Insurance in Columbus, Ohio, retiring in 2002.
Hoyt was recognized by the Knox County Historical Society and was inducted into its first class of the Knox County Sports Hall of Fame. Hoyt was considered the top basketball player at Mount Vernon High School during the 1950s. He scored 50 points in a high school game, and he still ranks eighth all-time on the Jackets’ scoring list with 1,014 points from 1955-57. His 28.2 ppg average on 508 points in 18 games in 1956-57 still owns the No. 1 spot in Yellow Jackets' history, and that was before the advent of the 3-point arc.
At Ohio State, Hoyt helped the Buckeyes win their only NCAA championship, as a 6-foot-4, 190-pound forward. Primarily a sixth man on the 1959-60 championship team, Hoyt supported such Buckeyes as Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek. Hoyt was a scorer, but was counted on for his rebounding and defense.
He is survived by his wife, Penny, of Park Ridge, N.J.; two daughters; two sons; two stepsons; a stepdaughter; their spouses; 17 grandchildren; and other family members.
A Celebration of Life will take place September 24 in his New Jersey backyard. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Hoyt's name to the Gary Sinise Foundation at https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/.
