James "Jim" R. Hochradel

James (Jim) R. Hochradel, of Baltimore, Ohio, passed away peacefully on Thursday, September 4th, 2025, at the Pickering House in Lancaster, Ohio.

He was born on September 19th, 1942, in Pickerington, Ohio to Carl and Elva (Miller). He was the youngest of nine children. His family would eventually move to Baltimore where Jim would attend and graduate from Liberty Union High School in 1960. He began his career at Western Electric, moved to Ohio Bell and retired from Ameritech after a long tenure in management. In the community, Jim was probably best known for his role as owner and operator of the Baltimore Car Wash, which he held for 40 years. You could always find him there cleaning a bay, counting quarters, or talking to customers about the topic of the day.

Jim took great pride in his home, having built and updated much of it himself. He never met a project he wasn’t willing to tackle. He also loved the Baltimore community and spent time giving back through stints on various councils, committees, & boards and coaching numerous sports. One of Jim’s favorite past times was his annual fishing trip to Canada with some of his closest friends and family.

The life he built with his wife of 57 years, Margaret (who he fondly called Mert), is where he found his real purpose. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather who loved nothing more than watching his family do the things they loved. He especially enjoyed being around his granddaughters as they grew up, saying many times he got to grow up with them.

He is survived by his wife Margaret; son Shaun (Katie) Hochradel; daughter Jean Hochradel; grandchildren Dylan & Payton Hochradel; sister Mary Ann Harrison; sister-in-law Sue Hochradel; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Carl (Betty), Robert (Lois), Donald (Eileen) and Bill Hochradel and sisters Shirley Hochradel, Violet (Estel) Miller, and Janice (Jim) Huff.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Liberty Union High School Softball or the Baltimore Community Museum in memory of Jim Hochradel.

Family and friends are invited to calling hours from 5:00-7:00 p.m., September 12th, 2025, at Johnson-Smith Funeral Home, 207 South Main Street, Baltimore, Ohio 43105. The funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on September 13th, 2025, at Johnson-Smith Funeral with the Reverend Jill Dunlap officiating. Interment to occur at Floral Hills Memory Garden, followed by a celebration of life, with location being shared at the funeral. 

To send an online condolence, and to sign the guest book, please visit www.funeralhome.com.