Mr. Hoyt, a former Holland & Knight lawyer, practiced law from 1955 to 2000.
By GRACE AGOSTIN
Published March 21, 2004
TAMPA - When practicing law, Tampa lawyer Brooks P. Hoyt focused on tax and maritime legal issues, but at home he simply practiced being a family man.
The former Holland & Knight lawyer died Saturday from leukemia. He was 74.
Michael Colgan, former Holland & Knight lawyer, began working with Mr. Hoyt in the 1980s. Colgan said Mr. Hoyt was highly respected, particularly for his knowledge of the technical aspects of tax law.
"He was certainly the man to call if you had land tax litigation issues," Colgan said. "He was a very fine lawyer."
When Mr. Hoyt left Holland & Knight to start his own law firm, Colgan joined him. From 1992 to 1998, they practiced law at Hoyt, Colgan & Andreu. "It was a much smaller firm, but Brooks always did a lot of his work himself," Colgan said. "He came from a time when you did a lot of things yourself."
Mr. Hoyt practiced law from 1955 to 2000. A Tampa native, he grew up in Washington, D.C., and served in the U.S. Air Force before attending the University of Florida, where he received a law degree in 1954.
From 1957 to 1962, Mr. Hoyt served as an assistant professor with the University of Florida School of Law.
In 1962, he earned an advanced degree in law from Columbia University School of Law and returned to Tampa to practice with MacFarlane, Ferguson, Allison & Kelly, and later joined Holland & Knight, where he practiced for about 10 years.
Dr. John Rhodin, a family friend, said he and Mr. Hoyt shared a common interest in European history. "He was a well-informed man, with a most inquisitive mind," Rhodin said. During his visits to the Hoyts' home, he also noticed that Mr. Hoyt was "extremely dedicated to his family and children."
Mr. Hoyt's daughter, Kathy Hindman, said her father always made time for his children.
"He liked his law, loved to read and loved to do things with the family," she said.
Hindman, 48, remembers her father volunteering for Plant High School's swim team from 1971 to 1974, when she was on the team. "He was just real active, helping out with the swim team and organizing timers to come out to the meets," Hindman said.
Mr. Hoyt, and his wife, Patricia, had traveled to Australia, Africa and throughout Europe. In July, the couple took their last trip on the Orient Express and traveled across Canada.
From 1987 to 1991, Mr. Hoyt served on the 2nd District Court of Appeals Judicial Nomination Commission. He was a member of the American Bar Association, the Florida Bar, the Maritime Law Association of the United States, the Southeastern Maritime Law Institute and Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla.
Survivors include his wife, Patricia "Pat"; two daughters, Kathy Hindman, of Tampa, and Nicki O'Connell, of Bay Shore, N.Y.; four grandchildren; and a brother, Robert, of Annapolis, Md. Funeral arrangements are being made through Blount & Curry Funeral Home's MacDill Chapel.
