Leonard Hoyt, former owner of the Desert Ironwoods Motel and RV Park in Ocotillo Wells, passed away on Friday, February 2. He was 67.
Hoyt served 27 years in the Navy as an aviation mechanic. He always loved the desert and camping. He was an avid RVer and started out in a pickup and camper and moved up to a fifth wheel and then a motorhome. When he retired from the Navy, his dream was to own an RV park. His search spanned through California, Oregon and Arizona, but it was in his own backyard that he found the Desert Ironwoods Motel and RV Park and purchased the run-down park hoping to make improvements. He owned the popular desert RV park for 20 years and sold it in 1998.
During that 20 years, Hoyt made many changes and improvements to the property and made it one of the popular camping spots in the desert. He remodeled the 12-room motel, added a country store, built permanent storage and expanded the RV park by adding water, electricity and sewer hook ups to the RV park to make it more camper friendly. He also built a riding area for small children so the parents could keep a close eye on them. In 1986, the motel burnt down but undaunted by the fire, he rebuilt.
He sold the motel and RV park in 1998 and bought 40 acres across from Blow Sands. He had water, electricity and sewer installed and was in the process of developing his own desert complex.
"He was hoping to see his dream of his own desert complex come true," said his son Don Hoyt. "He will never see that now but I will develop the land according to his dream."
Hoyt was a member of the local Kiwanis for a few yeas and was at one time part of the volunteer fire department in Ocotillo Wells.
"He was just a friendly, joking kind of guy that always wanted to help somebody and took great pride in the motel, " said his son Don. "He loved the desert and was a full time RVer."
Services were held Saturday, February 17, in San Marcos.
contributed by Robin Davis
28 February 2001