It is with immense sadness that the family of Galen Hoskin announce his passing on Wednesday, January 10th at age 53 due to complications from metastatic prostate cancer. Galen is survived by his wife, Dina Wolkoff; his children, Ben, Sonia, and Guo Hsing; his stepdaughter, Dalia; his parents, Greg and Dot Hoskin; his siblings, Brice Hoskin and Nici Flann; their spouses, Karen Hoskin and Chris Flann, and his nephews, Nathaniel, Will, Jonas, and Luca. He was preceded in death by grandparents Joy and John Henman and Helen and Judge Leslie Manker. The night after Galen's passing, candles were lit around the world, illuminating his memory and connecting his loved ones.
Galen was so many things: optimistic, grateful, fun, full of energy, a rocket exploding into the universe, a smile as bright and wide as the galaxy, a visionary full of ideas that most people would not even imagine. He lived his life fully present. He was creative, a risk taker and rule breaker who found great success doing things contrary to the norm. Galen was an amazing person, a sweet man, generous, open, and a true friend.
Galen had immense love for his children, Ben, Sonia, and Guo Hsing, giving them affection, sharing his zest for life, taking them on special trips all over the world, teaching them, engendering their curiosity and encouraging them in every way. He built a home for his family in the East Cape of Baja. Unlike most people, rather than build on the beach, his children led him to look into the desert, where he explored up the deep arroyo finding the perfect rocky canyon walls surrounded by mesquite and cactus. While he called it his "folly", this magnificent home in the desert was a peaceful oasis retreat for all who visited. Galen imparted his great sense of adventure and daredevilish nature to his stepdaughter, Dalia, sharing with her his love of the Sonoran Desert, the Sea of Cortez, skiing, reading, and watching movies.
Galen felt fortunate to share his life with his first wife, Leah, mother of his three children, and later with Dina, whom he met on his 49th birthday, with whom he shared a passion for travel, skiing, nature, socializing with friends, and sitting peacefully in the back garden.
Galen grew up in Grand Junction, surrounded by the high desert and mountains of Western Colorado where he would ski in the winter and ride his bike for hours in the summer. Galen's love of exploration was ingrained at a young age through camping trips in Baja, exploring New Zealand, and skiing in Europe with his parents and siblings. He discovered his intellectual curiosity while studying at New Lincoln School in New York City, which inspired him to attend Middlebury College, where he studied Chinese and majored in East Asian Studies. Galen was inspired to learn Chinese by his call to climb high peaks, as far away as he could, where no one else had gone. He remained passionate about skiing, counting the days until the first snow, hoping for powder to rip into with his elegant yet powerful turns, yelling, "Yippee Ki Yay!"
Galen graduated cum laude from Middlebury in 1987 with a degree in East Asian Studies after which he criss-crossed Asia as a buyer for the R.H. Macy department store. He left Macy's to attend Columbia Business School. After graduating in 1994 he joined the Capital Group, a money management firm in Los Angeles, with a mandate to work on Asian investments. Galen excelled at identifying small technology companies that went on to become industry giants like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and Samsung Electronics and developed lasting relations with the senior leaders in those industries. After a distinguished career as an industry analyst, he became a portfolio manager in New World Fund, Capital International Global Equity Fund and portfolio manager and principal investment officer of American Funds Insurance Global Growth Fund. He served on several corporate boards, but he also invested time in charitable enterprises.
Galen gave generously of himself and his intellect to fund breakthrough science in the field of cancer at UCSF Medical Center, Washington University in St. Louis and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. But perhaps the cause closest to his heart was Pogo Park in Richmond, California, and its initiatives to build playgrounds and transform communities. Galen was with Pogo Park from the beginning. He served as Pogo Park's first Board President, he gave generously to Pogo Park every year, and he opened his home to host legendary fundraising parties to raise money for and awareness of Pogo Park. His friends at Pogo Park remember him as a big thinker, a loving and kind spirit, and a visionary investor who believed the best possible investment anyone can make is an investment in children.
For Galen, people were interesting and life was fun, and his wide circle of devoted friends who loved him stands as testimony to his generosity, his caring, and his easy-going joy.
Galen was diagnosed with advanced metastatic prostate cancer in December, 2015. From the onset, he took an active role in his treatment by gathering oncologists, medical researchers, pharmaceutical experts, T'ai Chi masters, Tibetan amchis, Japanese energy healers, and Buddhist guides as his care team. Galen was always at the forefront of his treatments, pushing his doctors for the most innovative treatments, always searching for solutions not previously tried in prostate cancer. Galen's family is grateful to all of the doctors and nurses who cared for him, notably Dr. Ronald Strauss (Private Medical) and Dr. Eric Small (UCSF) and their colleagues.
Contributions may be made in Galen's memory to: Pogo Park 720 Elm Ave, Richmond, CA 94801, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance 425 East 100 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111; The American Himalayan Foundation 909 Montgomery St # 400, San Francisco, CA 94133, Middlebury College 700 Exchange Street, Middlebury 05753, or in support of the Dr. Eric Small Prostate Cancer Research Fund, care of the UCSF Foundation, PO Box 45339, San Francisco, CA 94145.
A memorial celebration will be held on Saturday, February 3, 2018 at 4 p.m. at the Golden Gate Club in San Francisco, 135 Fisher Loop in the Presidio. RSVP to mtg@capgroup.com