Obituary of Joan Constance Hoffman

Warrensburg: Joan Constance (Harris) Hoffman, 93, formerly of Orton Drive, passed away Tuesday, May 31, 2016, at her home on Bay Road, in Lake George. Mrs. Hoffman was born in Caladonia, Ontario, Canada to an English couple who were living in Canada for a few years. As a young girl, she moved to Cambridge, England where her family were proprietors of a horseback riding academy that supported the students at Cambridge University. She won a competitive appointment to and graduated from The Purse School for Girls, a finishing school for young ladies. During World War II Joan met and married Albert Hoffman, an American serviceman, and in 1944 came to America to stay with his family until the war ended. Upon his return, they made their home in Wood-Ridge, NJ, and in 1950 started vacationing at Sherman Lake in Warrensburg. In 1975 the couple retired to Echo Lake, where she lived for thirty years before moving into her son, Geoffrey's home in Lake George. Mrs. Hoffman was active in the First United Methodist Church of Warrensburg, where she was President of the Woman’s Society, a choir member, and was a certified Lay Preacher for over twenty years. After her husband’s passing in 1979, she continued on for thirty years to lead the Sing Out Group they had started, which was a group primarily comprised of senior citizens who led group singing at local nursing homes. Joan was involved in a multitude of other charitable activities, for which she was twice named the Warren County Volunteer of the Year; she delivered Meals on Wheels for as many years as she was able, was the substitute cook for the Meals Program, cooked for retreat programs at Skye Farm Camps, was a volunteer driver for the Office of the Aging until she could no longer drive, and was a Caratis Volunteer who counseled and comforted terminally ill patients and their families. When she became confined to her home, Joan spent years using her lifelong love of knitting to knit almost 3,000 small sweaters and headbands for Teddy Bears that were presented to handicap campers at Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Camp. In addition to her parents and late husband, Joan was predeceased by a daughter, Pamela Ruth Hoffman, who died in infancy. She is survived by three sons, Lt. Col. Darrell (Mary Gail) Hoffman of Woodbridge, VA, Mr. Paul (Karen) Hoffman of San Ramon, CA, and Mr. Geoffrey (Cheryl) Hoffman of Lake George; nine grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; a sister, Mrs. Pamela Sloane of London, England; and brother, Mr. Benjamin Harris of Cambridge, England. Friends may call on Joan’s family from 2 to 4 pm, Sunday, June 5, 2015 at Alexander Funeral Home, 3809 Main Street, Warrensburg. Funeral services will be held at 10 am, Monday, at the First United Methodist Church of Warrensburg with Rev. Stephen Andrews, officiating. Interment will follow in Warrensburg Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions made to the Alzheimer's Association at http://act.alz.org/goto/joan_hoffman .