Robert E. “Bob” Hoffman passed away on August 17, 2024, at the age of 89. A funeral service in his honor will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 7 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Family and friends are invited to gather at 10:00 a.m., prior to the service, to share memories and celebrate Bob's life.

Bob was born in Noble County, Indiana on June 7, 1935. At the age of three, he moved with his parents, Forrest and Lucille (Jaquay) Hoffman, to Seneca, Missouri, where he grew up on the family farm. He and his siblings attended a one-room country school through the eighth grade and completed their high school education thereafter. Bob's early years were spent milking cows, helping with daily farm chores, and tending to the family garden. Immediately after graduating from high school in 1953, Bob volunteered to serve in the Army. After basic training at Camp Polk Louisiana, he was sent to Alaska to serve with the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regt., 71st Division.

Following his military service, Bob earned a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University) using the GI Bill and embarked on a career in education. Over a span of 38 years, he taught at both the high school and university levels, beginning as a high school business teacher, and later joining the faculty at Haskell Indian Institute, a post-secondary school for Native American students. During Peace Corps training at UCLA, Bob met his future wife, Carolyn, as they prepared for their assignments. He served for two years in Ethiopia, teaching business subjects. Bob and Carolyn (Hanson) Hoffman were married on June 3, 1967, in Janesville, Wisconsin.

After earning a doctorate from the University of Oklahoma in 1969, Bob continued his teaching career at Pittsburg State University before spending the final 25 years of his teaching career at Central Michigan University in the Department of Business Administration.

Bob had a passion for travel, enjoying family camping trips throughout the United States, and visits to Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He also found joy in gardening, baking bread, and listening to classical music. His beautifully maintained flower beds at the family home on Lincoln Court and at Immanuel Lutheran Church were admired by many. In retirement, Bob devoted much of his time to church activities, genealogical research, and cheering on his beloved Oklahoma Sooners.

Bob is survived by his wife Carolyn (Hanson) Hoffman; his son Daniel Hoffman, wife Holly (Gerkin) Hoffman, and their children Julia and Carter; and his daughter Joy Hoffman and her children Kylie (fiancé Stone), Averey, and Jackson. He also leaves behind many nieces and nephews, all of whom brought him great pride.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Allan, John, Art, and infant brother Forrest Hoffman, and his sisters Harriet “Beth” (Hoffman) Russell and Alice (Hoffman) Machesney, as well as two nieces, Deborah Hoffman and Charlotte (Hoffman) Hudson.

Bob's ashes will be placed in the Memorial Flower Garden at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, among the flowers he lovingly tended for many years. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Immanuel Lutheran Church.

The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to the management and staff of Green Acres Assisted Living Facility for their kind and compassionate care.