Ed Hogan, who together with wife Lynn founded Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays, passed away December 7, 2021, in Westlake Village, CA. He was 94.
Ed and Lynn Hogan met in high school and were married for 69 years. Lynn Hogan passed away in 2020 at age 92.
Hogan began his career as a pilot and aviation industry executive, serving as district sales manager in San Francisco and Honolulu for Trans Ocean Airlines. By 1958, Trans Ocean was one of the first carriers with scheduled service to Hawaii, operating three flights a week from Burbank and Oakland, CA.
When Hawaii became the 50th state in 1959, Hogan saw the future and it was in Hawaii. He and Lynn used $10,000 in savings to open Pleasant Travel Service, a small travel agency in Point Pleasant, NJ, and began to specialize in tours to the islands. Pleasant would soon move to the West Coast to better serve the Hawaii market. It was there they adopted the Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays name. In time, Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays would become Pleasant Holidays.
The business would grow dramatically over the next four decades. The Hogans operated their own charter flights to the islands, owned seven hotels, employed more than 3,500 people, and brought millions of visitors to Hawaii. By 1985, Pleasant was responsible for roughly 10 percent of Hawaii visitor arrivals and in 1991 was lauded by the state for bringing its 3 millionth visitor. Pleasant then expanded its operations to serve destinations around the world, ultimately generating more than $500 million a year in sales.
In 1998, the Hogans sold Pleasant Holidays, LLC to the Auto Club of Southern California. That same year, the couple founded the Hogan Family Foundation, which has extended their legacy beyond the travel industry. Its philanthropic initiatives include the Hogan Angel Flight Program, which provides air transportation for people in need of medical treatment and diagnosis, the Hogan Entrepreneurial Programs established at Chaminade University and Gonzaga University to develop future generations of emerging leaders, and Gardens of the World, a four-and-a-half-acre community park in Thousand Oaks, CA.
Under Hogan’s guidance, the foundation in 2004 purchased 22 acres of land in Hidden Valley, CA, christened it Rancho St. Francis, and launched a program to assist horses in need of rescue and people in need of special attention. In 2007, a second ranch was purchased in California’s Santa Rosa Valley to expand the programs to the community and to help rescue and rehabilitate more horses.
Recognized as a visionary leader in the travel industry, Ed was honored with a host of awards, including being named "Executive of the Year" by Executive magazine (1986) and "Man of the Year" by Travel Agent magazine (1990). Ed and Lynn were also inducted into the American Society of Travel Agents Hall of Fame (1993) and Travel Industry Association Hall of Leaders (1999).
Ed is survived by his four children Brian, Christine, Gary and Glenn, four grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.
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