Obituaries : Fleeta Louise Hoke, 94; Retired Times Food Editor

Fleeta Louise Hoke, a pioneer home economist believed to be the first person to hold the title of food editor of The Times, is dead.

Donald D. Kent, a grandson, said Mrs. Hoke, who provided answers to cooking questions, and printed or personally sent recipes for tens of thousands of L.A. families during World War II and beyond, was 94 when she died Friday in West Covina.

From 1939 until her retirement in 1964, she demonstrated cooking techniques on a grand scale. Her regular appearances and lectures ranged from The Times building to the vast ranges of the Shrine Auditorium, where more than 7,000 people attended a three-day food seminar in November, 1939.

Known to readers as Marian Manners, a pseudonym used by Times food writers over the years, she published a daily column, personally answered questions by phone in an era when the city and The Times circulation were much smaller, and with the assistance of a small staff responded to written requests.

(The name Marian Manners was supposedly derived from the first name of Times Publisher Harry Chandler’s wife while Manners was a popular retail shop in Downtown Los Angeles during the 1920s.)

Probably Mrs. Hoke’s greatest success came during World War II when such items as sugar, butter, coffee and canned goods were rationed and she was asked to substitute other ingredients.

After the war, Mrs. Hoke helped encourage such “radical” food innovations as prepared cake mixes and frozen foods, many of which veteran cooks distrusted initially.

She also came up with several potato recipes after the war when the government was shipping much of its wheat to help re-establish war-torn nations. Her recipes included creamed chicken on mashed potatoes rather than traditional toast, potato pancakes and the use of potatoes as a crust over meat pies.

Survivors include a daughter, Myral Ruth Kent, two grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.