Gerald ''Jerry'' Kent Hoffman
September 22, 1935 - January 11, 2007
Obituary
Gerald “Jerry” Kent Hoffman
September 22, 1935 – January 11, 2007
Age 71, of Normandy Park, passed away suddenly on January 11, 2007 from a heart attack. Jerry spent his first four years living in Ruble, Iowa above a country store run by his parents, Elmer and Helen Hoffman. The family then moved to a farm in LeMars, near Sioux City, Iowa. He served two-years in the US Army during which he was stationed at Fort Lewis. He fell in love with the mountains and scenery of Washington State which eventually drew him back. He returned to Iowa State University where he met his wife, Jean. The two were married in 1962, graduated from Iowa State University in 1963 and then relocated to Seattle for jobs at the Boeing Company. Jerry and Jean had three children and were married 44 years.
After 34 years of serving on a wide variety of projects at Boeing, Jerry retired as a Finance Manager in 1995.
Jerry loved the outdoors and spent a great deal of time hiking, especially in the Mt. Rainier area. Summiting Mt. Baker was one of the highlights of his hiking career. In his younger years, he enjoyed jogging, and was a finisher in both the Emerald City and Portland Marathons. In recent years, he walked 10-16 miles a day and was proud of his cumulative total of 163,462 miles since 1996.
Jerry was a dedicated volunteer for the Highline Area Food Bank, and enjoyed many years of serving the community.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Jean; his daughter, Julie Darrel Frame of Renton; daughter, Laura Chris Duke of San Jose; and son, Kent Hoffman of Kent; grandson, Joshua Frame of Renton; his mother and two sisters, Norma Starr of Sioux City, and Karen Johnson of Federal Way, many nieces and nephews, and his dog, Boomer. He was preceded in death by his father and his brother, Doug.
Jerry will be remembered as a loving husband and father, and a friend to many. He delighted greatly in his grandson, who will especially miss him.
A celebration of Jerry’s life will be held 2PM, Friday January 19 at John Knox Presbyterian Church. View online memorial at bonneywatson.com.
Tributes in his memory may be made to Highline Area Food Bank, P.O. Box 66427 Burien, WA
Dear Beloved Jean, Julie, Laura and Kent,
I am sorry for the loss of your husband and father. My words cannot fully express my deepest sorrow for your loss. Mr. Hoffman Gerry was a very kindhearted and generous man, he was always willing to help others and freely shared his talents and insights.
One of my last memories of Gerry was the time he offered me a ride from the airport to my car parked at his Normandy Park home. Gerry drove up to the curb in his van he used for his food-bank service to get me. While riding we had a wonderful conversation, it was a delight to visit with Gerry that day. He spoke to me lovingly about his family and his new grandson. I remember the sparkle in his eyes and his beautiful smile.
I will always recall Mr. Hoffman as a kind and generous man. Gerry was a good listener and offered me timely advice on several occassions. Gerry was a joy to know and he will be greatly missed.
Ps 119:76 May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.
You and your family are in my heart and prayers.
Love, Wendy
Your family is in our thoughts and prayers. We are so sorry for your loss.
Love-Katy and Chris
We were sad to hear of the sudden passing of Jerry. He will be missed! We never got to see a lot of each others families over the years because of the many miles but I do remember, and rememer well that Uncle Jerry LOVED to walk and jog. After chuch when everyone else decided to siesta, he would walk. I admired him for his motivation!
Your family is in our prayers. The Lord WILL bring you comfort and peace!
Love,
Angie, Kelly, Chantelle, Brianna and Hope Wilderman
What a shock this has been to all who loved Jerry. While you were not prepared for his sudden passing, God was and wanted Jerry to come home. We know without a doubt he is with Christ. No more pain, no more concerns. Our prayers go with your family for peace, comfort and rest.
Bill Wippel and the Tape Ministries NW Staff and volunteers
DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY..
To Jean,Julie,Darrell,Laura,Kent and Little Joshua,
My prayers,love,comfort and peace go out to all of you from Our Loving Heavenly Father. Your father and husband was so special to so many that new him. I enjoyed his humor and service to the Food Bank ,who ministered to so many people. My last memory of Jerry was at our Domino Game Day. He was working on a word find puzzle. He said to me . I usually never get all the words but I will give it fair try. You all are very special to me. I Thank my God upon every remembrance of you. Phil. 1-3 Lovingly, Marilyn R. Holms
Jean, Kent and family,
Holding you close in our prayers. Draw strength from the Lord and know that many love you and that Jerry will be missed by those of us still on this journey.
Donna and Glenn
We have fond memories of spending the weekend with the Jerry and Jean and the whole family when Chris and Laura were wed in Yosemite National Park. You are in our prayers. Jim & Barbara
Jean, our thougths and our prayers are with you and your family. Even as we mourn Jerry’s loss we are comforted knowing that he is now in God’s care. And we rejoice knowing that life everlasting is the great hope for all believers.
Blessings and peace to you and your loved ones.
I know the unexpected loss of your husband and father is painful, and I pray that knowing he is in heaven with his Lord and that you will see him again brings a measure of comfort to you all. A favorite quote of mine sums this up beautifully: “God’s children never say goodbye for the last time.”
What a tremendous legacy he leaves behind through Laura, Julie and Kent and grandson Joshua!, and through his work and the lives he impacted through the years.
My deepest sympathies to you all — I’m praying God will carry you through the coming days and that you will feel surrounded by His love.
“We still grieve when a believing loved one dies. Grief is love’s expression. But beneath it all is an unshakable joy, because we know our loved one is in heaven.” — Dave Egner.
Dear Jean and family,
We are still stunned by the sudden death of one so active and vital. Barely two months ago, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner with the two of you down by your nearby waterfront. Little could we have imagined this would be our last visit with Jerry. Instead, we were enjoying your pleasure in your first grandchild as we began to plan for our next Iowa State get-together, now scheduled for Sedona, Arizona, in February.
But life has its unexpected twists and turns, and now Jerry has moved from the “now” to the “forever.” Still, he remains very much a part of us who remain. His love of family, his compassion for others, his passion for walking, his love for the beauty of the Northwest, and the joy brought by Boomer–all this remains in our hearts and memories while we grieve with you, cry with you, and, yes, laugh with you as we remember him.
We regret that we will not be able to join you Friday, but please know that our prayers and heartfelt concern reach across the miles to embrace you all.
In Love, Marilyn and Art Bervin
Please accept my heartfelt condolences. My prayer is that you’ll feel the comfort of God’s loving arms around you as you grieve the loss of Jerry.
You are all in my prayers.
Deb
Jean,
Julie, Darrel & Joshua,
Laura & Chris,
Kent,
and man’s Jerry’s best friend Boomer
We are also sharing in your sorrow and loss of a great man. The shock was tremendous to all of us.
Our memories of the wonderful times spent together with Uncle Jerry shall be treasured forever. Tim will always remember his mountain hike with Uncle Jerry back a few 30+ years… Darcy and I will never forget our sites and scenes of Seattle, Washington and area. Seeing the mountains, the ocean, and of course the Space Needle for the first time. Let us not forget when Jerry set off the security alarm with my back pack at the Space Needle. These things may seem small to the average person but to us people back in the flat lands of the Midwest- it was spectacular! Jerry took the time to show the family a good time when they came to visit. Many miles separated us most of the time but when we where together we where a fun family with Jerry there and his fun sense of humor.
I’m sure Jerry, Elmer & Doug are sharing some stories and jokes and will be watching over all of us.
So sad that we are not there with you at this difficult time as much as we would like to be, but please know that our thoughts & prayers are since we are not.
With Love, Tim, Sheila & Darcy Starr
Jean:
While I only met Jerry at the funeral of his brother Doug. I immediately knew he was a man of character. I was shocked to read of his death. My sympathies to you and all of your family.
Dear Jean and Family,
The shock of Jerry’s passing is still with me. Although we have known you both since Iowa State years, because of distance, we had to make an effort to get together. Those times are even more precious now. We look forward to seeing you in February in Sedona but will miss Jerry’s presence. His spirit and our memories will be there however. Earl and I are thinking of you often and wishing you comfort and peace.
Sally & Earl Muhlbaier
Dear Jean,
Words cannot express how we feel with Jerry’s passing. What a shock to read his obituary in the Sioux City paper.The time we spent in Washinton this summer is ever more precious now that he is gone. Jerry was such a pleasure to be around and he was so very special! We will always treasure the memories of our times together. Jean, know you are loved and hugged from here.Our deepest sympathy to all of you.
Love,
Russ and Sharon
Dear Jean,
30 years ago we shared the trials and tribulations of starting our careers and families. Jerry’s smile, kindness and good humor helped many of us along the way. We are sorry to hear of his passing but are better for having known him. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.
Jean, Julie, Laura and Kent.
My heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with you during this time of loss. It’s good to know that Jerry is with the Lord now, but it’s tough to say goodbye. I know how much he will be missed.
I sure enjoyed seeing Jerry “around town” usually on foot. And I sure appreciated his love of his children and his support of our ministry. He was a very special man and won’t be forgotten.
Hugs and blessings,
Shawn
Jean,Julie,Laura,Kent,Darrel,Chris,Joshua & “Good Dog” Boomer, Although I’m not there in body please know I’m there in prayer & spirit. Jerry was more than Doug’s Brother, my Brother-in-law, he was truly my friend & Brother, he was always there for Doug & I especially when we needed him most.
Jean, the gift you & Jerry gave Kyle last summer is one he’ll hold in his heart and treasure the rest of his life, he feels like he’s lost his Father again, but that is not so, because memories last forever and I am so grateful that he is able to be with you at this time.
With all my love, Lilas
Jerry and I spent the last several years working together at the Highline Food Bank. We shared life stories and many laughs. I would tease him about the plastic bag tail he kept in his back pocket in case a client needed extra bags, and just about every Thursday he would quit only to have me tell him “right but only until next week”! Jerry will be greatly missed by all of us who were blessed from knowing him. Jerry is again adding to his mile count and walking the dogs. God bless Jerry’s family and friends as we mourn together his passing.
My condolences to the family. He was a great person and will be missed.
Jerry will be remembered for his enthusiasm to share a pleasant smile, to make a job easier and to lead our discussions toward positive solutions. I thank God for Jerry and his wife Jean. who opened the doors of their apartment to me and my Navy Buddies during some turbulent times. I looked forward with anticipation to my next visit with Jean and Jerry. My heart is filled with joy as I recall his stories about serving at the food bank, and the encouragement that I felt when he talked about his jogging and hiking experiences.
I’ll bet he is checking out his new wings to find a way to help some one in his new home.
I pray that God will provide comfort and wisdom to Jean and the family.
I worked with Jerry for a number of years at Boeing. He had enormous energy and zest for life. And he was a good friend at work. He loved to “argue” but with a great deal of humor and laughter. I loved to kid him and I think he enjoyed it as well. Whenever he was going to Arizona in the winter to visit his parents there I would ask him to go into any local tavern and ask to buy a map to the Lost Dutchman mine from anyone there. With map in hand Jerry was to rent two burros, purchase mining tools and plenty of grub. Then he was to call me in Seattle and I would rush to Arizona where we would go out in search of certain gold. Apparently Jerry never found the one true map because I never got the call. Or maybe he held the map back. Bon voyage Jerry. I hope you’ve found the treasure.
Dear Jean and family,
What a loss of a great friend- I will forever be blessed by being a part of your family and to know Jerry and have the fun and laughs that we all shared. Jerry will truly be missed.
My prayers for the family of a man with a servant’s heart.
Love to you all,
Ann
Jean and Family,
We feel very blessed to have had such a good friend and neighbor. We always enjoyed running into Jerry and Boomer on their walks. It gave our dogs the chance to run and play, while we chatted. It’s so hard to believe that we won’t be seeing Jerry and Boomer out walking anymore. Jerry was a good person and I will miss him greatly. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. God Bless!
Bob, Leesa, Dorsey and Tucker
Our thoughts and prayers are with your family. We wish you peace of mind and comfort during this very trying time. Stan and Karen Noble
Jean, over the many years we have lived in your neighborhood, we have enjoyed the fimiliarity of seeing, or talking to your husband, either jogging, or later walking his dog in Normandy Park. We’ll miss him. Best Wishes to you and your family.
Sorry to learn of your loss, we will be remembering the good times and be thinking of you.
-Class of 1953
Alta and I extend our deepest sympathies to all of Jerry’s relatives and friends. He was one of my best friends in high school and an all-around student, athlete and great guy.
Both of us knew him well. We are both from the Class of ’53, Central H.S., Le Mars.
John and Alta Siders Baack
I worked with Jerry at Boeing and would see him out walking many times after our retirement. He always took the time to stop and chat and was friendly to all. I marvel at the miles he has walked. He was truly a real gentleman!
What I Wanted to Say
Dear Dad,
You went so fast. I felt like we were having a conversation and it got cut off. I always thought there would be time, but I guess there wasn’t.
I always wanted to tell you that I appreciated you for making me feel like I was always a part of the family. I delighted in how you would tell and retell the story of how you wanted me and chose me and adopted me. You later laughingly shared how you had kept the cancelled checks and showed me how much you had paid for me. You made me feel like I belonged.
I always wanted to tell you that I appreciated how you would play cards with me when it seemed like no one else would. You see, I was feeling lonely then. And maybe you knew? It made me feel special when you took the time to teach me how to play cribbage, and maybe you let me let me recount my hand a few times just so I would feel like I was good at something.
I always wanted to tell you that I appreciated how you did the right thing. I’m sure I caused you heartache and pain when there was one more phone call informing you of something I had done wrong. You made me feel like I needed to strive for something better. That right and wrong was an issue of the heart.
I always wanted to tell you that I appreciated that you came to my rescue when I had a broken heart. You made me feel special, like you were for me, protecting me. I knew that the hurt I felt, you were feeling too.
I always wanted to tell you that I appreciated your passion for the mountains. You knew them all by name and had been to most of them around here. Although I often griped about going to the mountains when I was a kid, I grew to love them because you had taken the time to take me on a few special hikes: Comet Falls, the Mine Shaft and even to Camp Muir. It wasn’t so much where we hiked, but it was that you included me in this world that was a joy to you. It made me feel included when I needed to feel included.
I always wanted to tell you that you were the most wonderful Grandfather. And maybe you already knew this. What a blessing it was to see Joshua’s eyes light up and yours too when he saw his Grandpa. It was for you that he took his first steps. It made me feel so happy to see that you were so happy.
In recent years, I always wanted to tell you that I prayed for you daily. I know you had struggles. Ones that ran so deep, that I could not understand them. I always wanted to tell you that I cared about you. That even though your struggles were big, that God was bigger. You were such an amazing man. So kind, so gifted, so helpful, so disciplined, and also fun to be around. You did things right. People loved you. I wanted to tell you that even though you sometimes felt like you were not good enough, that we all saw you very differently. You were very precious in the sight of the Lord.
What I want to say now, is that I am unbelievably sad. My heart hurts. But I am also overjoyed to think that you are now with Jesus. That all the pain and the struggles and the tears of this life are over. That Jesus is holding you, that He has healed you, and that He is delighted in you. The cares of this life are gone. I think of how happy and complete you must be. And it makes me feel hope.
What I want to say now is that I love you and I miss you. And I hold onto the hope that because of Jesus, I will see you again.
Love, your daughter,
Julie
Jean and family, you all are in our thoughts and prayers. We hope to see you all in Iowa again.
Although I never met Jerry, I am sorry that I did not get to meet him. I wish those left behind all the best.
Great memories of our visits when Jerry came to Arizona and the first plane ride I took in 1972 to visit your family in Seattle. All our love Dave & Cindy Brouwer Massie