Elizabeth Hoke, former PEF leader, 75


Hoke’s death was confirmed by her son, Michael, who said his mother died while visiting for the holidays as a result of complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Hoke served as a regional coordinator when PEF split from the Civil Service Employees Association in the late 1970s, but quickly became disenchanted with the union’s first president, John J. Kraemer. Arguing he was misappropriating union funds, Hoke ousted Kramer in a close election in 1982. She served one three-year term. In 1987, Kraemer admitted to prosecutors that he siphoned $40,000 of union money to fund his re-election bid, and pleaded guilty to embezzlement and income tax evasion.

Hoke worked as a nurse at the Hudson River Psychiatric Center in Poughkeepsie before she was elected PEF president. She retired from state service in 1991.

Hoke is survived by three children — Michael, Jeanne and Robert — and four grandchildren — Christine, Robert Hoke V, Catherine and Sarah.

  1. patriot says:

    I guess her union triumphs made it too expensive to retire in NY so she moved to Arizona. Go figure!

  2. Roger Benson says:

    Elizabeth Hoke was a fearless fighter, who like other PEF presidents struggled with defining what the diverse and complicated PEF membership really wanted. As her campaign manager in 1982, I saw how very hard Betty worked to defeat the over-funded incumbent. She then made a diligent effort to upgrade PEF, but was caught in the cross-fire of two powerful union caucuses that both wanted to control her direction. Ultimately, that disunity damaged both PEF and her presidency.
    All PEF members owe Elizabeth Hoke a vote of gratitude for her willlingness to challenge the then nefarious PEF establishment, and begin the reform movement that still exists in PEF today. May she rest in peace.

  3. Walt says:

    God bless Elizabeth Hoke and those like her who have the intestinal fortitude to stand up for what is right. Union leadership can only be made better by those like her.

  4. zync says:

    Or maybe she retired to AZ for her health (people actually do that, I hear)

  5. Kevin says:


  6. ZR says:

    I am not sure where “Patriot” is coming from , but irrespective of her union office, Ms. Hoke deserves plenty of gratitude for her career as a nurse in a very difficult work experience.

  7. Jeff Lebowski says:

    That must be it Patriot. No other New Yorker public or private sector has ever retired to another state.

  8. Winston Smith says:

    patriot Nice, trying to make a political statement with what is essentially a obituary. I don’t know where she was living, but it says she was died while visiting Arizona for the holidays.

  9. Ben Franklin says:

    She saw corruption, fought it and won. Thank you, Ms. Hoke.

  10. nithia chatterjie says:

    I remember Ms Elizabeth Hoke as frail lady, yet a fearless fighter and one who made it a point to do well by PEF; her efforts in this regard and in her noble profession as a nurse do give people a sense of dignity that she and most leaders have bestowed on PEF. She will be remembered
    and may her soul rest in peace.

RSS feed for comments on this post.