Hometown Faces: So many good memories

As one who grew up in Front Royal, both John and Suzanne’s interviews brought back so many good memories to this old guy who’s turning 70 next month.

I see that you shot the videos at the home of Prudie Matthews – another good friend from FR days.

John was a great friend of my father, Paul Hockman. He was so right when he talked about how the Town Council and how the Mayor and Council worked so hard for Front Royal. My Dad served for many years on the Council and as Vice-Mayor, and on so many other boards there. Before he passed away, he told me one of the proudest things he ever lived to see was the building of the new school east of town off Rt. 55. He had pushed for the town to purchase that property twenty years before because he knew the property would be needed one day and the price would only go up.

As a child, I remember asking my Dad why he seemed to miss so many dinners at home because he was always at some meeting. He said that he had come to Front Royal with very little and had become successful because the town had been good to him and our family. He said he owed it back to the people of the town to make things always better. He instilled the idea of giving back to me, which I followed serving non-profits and other organizations during my life.

I loved Suzanne’s recollections of Main Street. I have known Suzanne all my life and was a good friend of her late husband, who died much too young. I grew up on Main Street when our family business was there and then moved to Royal Avenue. I spent Saturdays at the Park Theater and often ate at the old Duck Inn. I worked a summer and many college vacations at Joe Silek’s Warren Quality Shop.

Forgive me for rambling, but I remember selling an old gentleman a pair of pajamas there and after the customer left, Mr. Silek asked if I knew I had just sold the p.j.’s to a celebrity. I thought he was crazy, but the customer was Cliff Arquette, the actor who played Charlie Weaver on TV. I really didn’t believe Mr. Silek until Arquette died years later, and they published photos of him without his make-up. Mr. Silek was a wonderful boss and I still use his son as my attorney in FR.

I am surprised that The Examiner has never done a story on the Arquette family in Warren County. His son, also an actor on “The Walton’s”, and his grandchildren, Patricia, Rosanne, etc. all lived at Skymont Camp on Rt. 340. Check out the photo of them at The Melting Pot.

Keep up the good work. I read the Examiner every day. I appreciate your publishing the news releases I send. I am now working part-time only at the state agency. Retired from full-time in February but was asked to stay on for a while. I guess I am a workaholic, as I also just took on a consulting job with TV station here.

Thanks for letting me ramble on. Best Always to you, Roger, and your staff.

Jeb Hockman
Richmond, Virginia