DATE: Wednesday, November 26, 1997          TAG: 9711260010

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B10  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Editorial

                                            LENGTH:   50 lines

HUNTER A. HOGAN JR. A SPIRITED PASSAGE

Commercial real estate specialist Hunter A. Hogan Jr. was as colorful as he was successful. His exuberance made him stand out in any gathering. A man of passionate opinions that he was quick to serve up, he never retired from the lively business he loved. An auto accident a few weeks ago sent him to the hospital, where he died Monday, at age 87.

Hogan's enthusiastic approach to life was infectious. Robust conversation delighted him, and he was invigorated by challenges in business or in the community he championed.

The Great Depression kept him from completing four years at the University of Virginia. He worked awhile at a clothing store before starting his real estate career as a collector of tenement rents; Norfolk's slums were then among the most wretched in the nation. Long before his death, he had become an elder statesman in the commercial real estate world.

A founder of Goodman Segar Hogan real estate (now Goodman Segar Hogan Hoffler), Hogan acquired a trove of experience buying, developing, operating and selling shopping centers. A fresh recruit to real estate when America's fortunes were low, he was ever mindful that good times don't last forever.

And the good times really did not roll until after World War II, during which Hogan was a naval officer in the Pacific Theater. After depression and war, demand for new houses exploded. With most new housing and shopping centers rising in fields outside cities, roadbuilding boomed, too.

Although the U.S. economy has experienced ups and downs throughout the half-century since the war ended, the long-term trend has been upward. Goodman Segar Hogan was in the thick of commercial real estate activity in Hampton Roads and in many places beyond. It scored successes and weathered disappointments.

Hogan knew both, in Hampton Roads and in other areas. He learned from trial and error what was feasible and what wasn't. His judgment wasn't infallible - no one's is - but it sharpened in the arena.

He was a two-term president of the Urban Land Institute, a prestigious seasoned and civic-spirited group that volunteers time and expertise to helping cities. In response to invitations, ULI panels develop recommendations for urban-enhancing projects.

The International Council of Shopping Centers established the Hunter Hogan Award of Excellence to recognize outstanding commercial real estate professionals.

Named Norfolk's First Citizen in 1994, Hogan called for a push for funds to build the proposed Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial; the money was raised.

Hogan's family, friends, associates and acquaintances regret his departure. His spirited journey is recalled with affection and joy.

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