Darlene P. Hoyt

Dr. Darlene P. Hoyt passed away peacefully on June 7, 2026, in San Diego, California. She was born September 9, 1942 in Meadowlands, Pennsylvania to Bruno and Louise Prandini and grew up surrounded by a large, loving extended Italian family. She was proceeded in death by her sister, Donna Flowers, and her parents.

Dr. Hoyt attended Chartiers-Houston High School in Canonsburg, PA where she was a majorette and cheerleader. She then trained as a nurse at Washington Hospital where she met and later married Charles A. Hoyt, III. Dr. Hoyt went on to complete an undergraduate degree at Christopher Newport College, and the couple traveled the world supporting his Naval career and raising their two daughters. Dr. Hoyt later went on to complete her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Counseling and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at United States International University and the California School of Professional Psychology, San Diego respectively.

Dr. Hoyt developed a career in forensic psychology and formed Law-Enforcement Consultants in the mid 1980s. Dr. Hoyt’s career spanned four decades. She dedicated much of her professional life to police and public safety. During this time, she was engaged in a variety of forensic activities. She was a Qualified Medical Examiner for Workers’ Compensation, she offered training at the FBI Academy, developed Peer Support Teams, provided Critical Incident Debriefings, and performed countless preemployment psychological evaluations, and fitness for duty evaluations for multiple agencies to include working with SWAT teams and Air Marshals. She was one of the first psychologists to be Board Certified in Police and Public Safety and wrote and published Affirmations for Law Enforcement: We Protect. We Serve. We Care. In addition to working with police and public safety, Dr. Hoyt also functioned as the Psychologist for the San Diego Job Corps for approximately 20 years and greatly enjoyed working with youth from challenging backgrounds. At the time of her retirement, Dr. Hoyt held over 30 law-enforcement related contracts at the state, federal and national levels, to include the San Diego Police Department, and the San Diego Sheriff’s Department. Dr. Hoyt was a strong advocate and well-liked by both the clients and agencies she served.

Dr. Hoyt is survived by her husband, retired Naval Captain, Charles A. Hoyt, III, “Joe” her two daughters Stacey Hoyt, Ph.D. and Stephanie Yoakum both of San Diego, CA. She is also survived by her grandchildren Carson Clarke, Rory Yoakum and Kennedy Clarke.

Dr. Hoyt left a legacy that emphasized family, education, personal responsibility and responsibility to the community. In addition to her professional pursuits, she was a Pittsburgh Steelers fan who could knit, crochet, sew and cooked many holiday dinners keeping her Italian heritage alive and well. She was an accomplished professional, loving wife, mother and grandmother who will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

Please direct all memorial donations to the Alzheimer’s Association.