Michael Glenn HOYER

Michael Glenn Hoyer of Bridgeton, Missouri, passed away peacefully at his home on October 29th, 2025. He was 84 years old. Michael was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife Carolyn, 2 children Jennifer Hoyer (Meagan) and Stephany Hoyer (Ryan), 2 grandchildren Dinah and William, and his brother Dennis (Jan). Michael was born on April 8th, 1941, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Jean and Glenn Hoyer. He spent many happy hours playing in nature, both around his home in Tulsa, and visiting his father’s family in Mt. Sherman and Jasper, Arkansas. Michael loved being a boy scout, and as a young teenager, discovered marching band and the trumpet. He played in the band at Tulsa Central High School, from which he graduated in 1959. Michael enrolled briefly at the University of Tulsa before joining the army in 1961. He played in the army band, which took him all over the U.S. and central Europe. He was stationed in Fulda, Germany, a time and place he loved to talk about. In 1964 he returned from military service, and re-enrolled at the University of Tulsa. At band practice, he met Carolyn Lee Miller, and it was love at first sight. They were engaged in spring 1967, and married on August 24th of that same year. Michael always said that he married the girl next door. They were devoted to each other, having spent hardly a day apart over 58 years. After graduating from TU with degrees in music education, Michael and Carolyn moved to St. Louis, Missouri. Their first child came in 1975, their second child in 1983. Michael taught band in the Ritenour school district from 1969 until he retired in 2001. Over the course of his 32-year career, Michael, or Mike as he often liked to be called, touched many lives. In addition to conducting bands at different grade levels and teaching private trumpet lessons, he also played in pit orchestras for Ritenour high school musicals, and occasionally played gigs around town. He was universally loved by his colleagues and students. He often bumped into former students around town and every one of them exclaimed with delight, “Mr Hoyer! I was your student in ______!” Michael never met a stranger. After retiring from Ritenour, Michael became the conductor for the Oasis community concert band, which allowed him to continue making music for a number of years until his health made it necessary to step down. Next to music, Michael loved nature, and spent many years traveling with his wife and daughters to their cabin at Lake of the Ozarks, where he loved to hike, whittle, fish, and waterski. He loved to sit outside early in the morning with coffee and watch for deer. He was able to enjoy nature all over the world with Carolyn, as they traveled the globe via land, air, and sea. Michael was an accomplished brass player with a very musical sense of humor–in addition to playing numerous instruments, he also constructed a handful of instruments from various household items. He delighted in whimsy, and his quick wit and enjoyment of wordplay accompanied him to his very last days. Mike will be remembered for his kindness, his humor, and his love of music, animals, and nature. Everyone who met him loved him instantly. A celebration of life in his honor will be held at Alternative Funeral and Cremation Services (2115 Parkway Dr. St Peters, MO 63376) on December 6th, 2025, from 11am-3pm. Flowers are welcome; donations to the Sierra Club, the Missouri Department of Conservation or the Ritenour School District Pride and Promise fund in his honor are also welcome.

Michael Glenn HOYER

April 8, 1941 - October 29, 2025