Obituary: Frederick Andrew Hoskinson

Frederick Andrew Hoskinson, 79, passed away on Aug. 10, 2026. His wife and daughter were with him through his final moments.

Frederick enjoyed deep intellectual conversations. He had a great ear for music, and he loved to laugh. Before life was complicated by medical issues, you could often find him playing autoharp at a music circle or around a dinner table, chuckling at others’ stories as well as his own. You knew it was a really good one when both shoulders went up and down while he laughed.

Terence (“Terry”) and Frederick Hoskinson.

Frederick cared deeply about his friends and family. It didn’t always show in regular interactions, but would be made obvious in an unexpected overly generous gesture, dedicated time to help someone solve a problem, the way he kept up with details of a person’s life, or regular phone calls to a friend who was going through a hard time.

Frederick was born in Staten Island, New York, on Sept. 24, 1946, where he spent the first year of his life. The rest of his childhood years were based in San Diego, California.

He was born blind and had surgery at two years old that partially restored his vision, though it continued to deteriorate through his life. Frederick refused to let it slow him down. As a kid, he’d often ride his bike up to the hills to go hunting, or get friends together to execute well-planned mischief, like riding go-carts through a movie theater.

In the late 1960s, Frederick hitchhiked his way to Juneau, Alaska, where he met his wife of 50 years and many great friends. He and his wife were always bonded by a sense of humor. They spent many years motorcycling through the U.S. and Canada, and after their daughter was born, they swapped out the motorcycles for an RV but continued to spend at least half of each year cruising around North America until 2020.

Frederick left his mark on Juneau as one of the five founders of the KTOO radio station — the first of its kind in Southeast Alaska. Then in 1982, he and his wife opened SnowFree Video, where many Juneau residents purchased their TVs, video cameras, VCRs, or rented a Betamax movie. Frederick had an encyclopedic knowledge of technology and loved solving technical difficulties for people. He also launched a local television station (KATH) in the early 1990s.

Frederick was preceded in death by his father, Glenn Maxwell Hoskinson, and his mother, Margery Imogene (Roberts) Hoskinson. He is survived by his wife, Terence “Terry” (Owen) Hoskinson, his daughter Glenn (Hoskinson) Saviers, his son-in-law, Bryce Saviers, and his grandson, Braxton Andrew Saviers; as well as his cousins who were like sisters: Joani Edwards and Janet “Jaye” Johnson.

The details of a celebration of Frederick’s life have not yet been determined. In the meantime, the family would love to hear memories and stories of Frederick from friends and community members that knew him.