(Dee Hockenberry 1930-2019)

For Love of Teddy Bears
by Pam North
Sometimes life changes over simple things. In Dee Hockenberry’s case, it was a small Schuco Yes/No bear that had been given to her young son on his first birthday, then later discarded as he grew older and lost interest in it. When it became Dee’s in 1954, it was a catalyst for an interest in teddy bears that became a driving force in her life.
At the age of 89, Dee left this life on July 27, 2019, survived by her husband, Tom, of seventy years, two children, and two cats. There is much more to tell about Dee than her passing, however. She lived a full life that was highlighted by her impact on the world of teddy bear making and collecting. A teddy designer, a collector, and a prolific author, she also wrote 17 books that featured vintage teddy bears and animals, illuminating the history of these beloved toys; two of these provided instructions and patterns for collectors to create their own personal versions for themselves.
Born and raised in Rochester, NY, Dee began indulging her artistic side at a young age by drawing her own fashion designs and painting pictures with oils. Interior decorating also was a passion of hers. She became an antique dealer with her own shop inside her home, called Federal House Antiques. She also was a contributing writer to Teddy Bear & Friends and two other bear magazines. Quite a seamstress, she made all the clothes for her daughter’s childhood Barbie doll.
Dee and her family moved in the 1960s from the city of Rochester to the country in Albion, inhabiting a large Greek-revival house with a rope swing hung in the backyard. She loved animals, and had cats, rabbits and Irish Setter dogs. One more nearby move in 1979 put them in a gambrel-roofed house that she and Tom had designed themselves. It was here that she started her teddy bear design business in 1980, creating some called Plaid Bow Bears, and others under the name Bears N' Things. She sold thousands of her creations over the years. She also established a mail-order business with a partner, Lorraine Oakley, selling teddies, other soft toys, and related products worldwide.
A well-known historian in the field of Steiff toys, Dee gave many presentations and lectures on those revered antique bears. She researched and wrote seventeen books - historical, reference and price guides - featuring vintage teddy bears and animals. Her husband was the photographer for all her books, and together they traveled the world, visiting 64 countries for business, shows, and pleasure.
Her greatest thrill was when her 1905 Ideal Toy Corporation bear (she had named it Frank) was chosen to be pictured on a 32-cent US postage stamp in 1998. It was a memorable day for her at the Cincinnati teddy bear show, which the US Post Office had attended to present the new stamp. With 12,533,333 stamps issued, the vintage bear became so popular that Dee had it reproduced in a collectors’ limited edition that won an award for excellence.
A true teddy lover, she treasured her bear collection, and the friends and acquaintances associated with it. She once said, "Teddy bears have an appeal that touches your heart, especially the early bears. May you always have a teddy bear close by to warm your heart."
Dee loved to tell the tale at lectures of how the teddy bear got its name. A popular cartoon in America was based on President Teddy Roosevelt’s November, 1902 hunting trip. The cartoon depicted the president refusing to shoot a captured bear. New York City shopkeepers, Rose and Morris Michtom were inspired by the story and cartoon, and in response they created a toy bear to place in their store window with a sign reading “Teddy’s Bear”. That first teddy bear sold immediately, with many more ordered, and the continued demand for the bear led to the founding of the Ideal Toy Corporation in America. Both America and Germany have laid claim to the creation of the teddy bear. The Steiff Company in Germany had been making lifelike toy animals since it was founded by Margarete Steiff in 1880, and her nephew, Richard, developed an idea for a bear with moving parts, which they created and showed at a toy fair in 1903.
Dee’s daughter, Candy, shared some thoughts on her mother, saying, “She was amazed at how a toy teddy bear depicted from such a ferocious animal became such a cuddly icon that captured the hearts of children and adults. It’s so hard to put into words all the things I loved about her. She had an endearing smile and a wonderful sense of humor, and so many other things that I loved about her.”
Editor Joyce Greenholdt had this to say about Dee: “I can say she was endlessly patient and a huge help in answering my questions as a newcomer to the teddy bear artist scene, as well as being one of my go-to people when I had a question about older collectible bears. Her last column, with photos taken by her husband, Tom, appeared in Teddy Bear Review magazine's December, 2011 issue, and she had been writing her Tracking the Market column for more than 20 years by then.”
After more than 90 years, teddy bears are more popular than ever, preserved in museum collections, and featured for sale at shows and specialty shops. Teddy bears are beloved by children and featured in their favorite bedtime stories. Even adults unashamedly love teddy bears, purchasing them for their own collections, and designing and making them to bring to life their own personal fantasies. The teddy bear is here to stay, and Dee Hockenberry was a prime element in its success and longevity.
Donations in Dee's name may be made to:
Paws Animal Shelter, 3371 Gaines Basin Road, Albion, NY 14411.

Books by Dee Hockenberry:
Bearers of Memories, Volume I
Bearers of Memories, Volume II
Bear Sightings in Everyday Life (1999)
Bear Memorabilia: Reference and Price Guide (1991)
Enchanting Friends: Collectible Poohs, Raggedies, Golliwogs, and Roosevelt Bears with Price Guide
More Enchanting Friends: Storybook Characters, Toys, and Keepsakes
Steiff Bears and Other Playthings Past and Present (2000)
100 Years of Teddy Bears
Bear Photo Album: Teddies Frolic Through the Seasons
The Big B E A R Book (199)
Collecting Golliwogs: Teddy Bear’s Best Friends
The Teddy Bear Companion, Volume II

Books by Dee Hockenberry and Tom Hockenberry:
The Teddy Bear Companion, Volume I by Dee Hockenberry and Tom Hockenberry (1995)
Collectible German Animals Value Guide 1948-1968: An Identification and Price Guide to Steiff, Schuco, Hermann, and Other German Companies (1989)
The Historical Teddy Bear (2004)
Contact Information:
Candy Fasano  (585) 734-4225.