Hoffman
September 22, 1935 -
January 11, 2007
Gerald Kent Hoffman, 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 U.S. 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. He graduated from Iowa State University in 1963 and they 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, Iowa, 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 was held January 19 at John Knox Presbyterian Church. View the online memorial at bonneywatson.com. Tributes in his memory may be made to Highline Area Food Bank, P.O. Box 66427 Burien, WA
