1937~ 2024
Connie Marie Hoffman, 86, of Traverse City died peacefully at her home in Cordia on March 6, 2024 with her children by her side.
Connie was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan on October 26, 1937 to Anna Marie Smith and Vernon Castle. Connie would later take the last name of her stepfather, Charles Block. She graduated from Dearborn Fordson High School and later, summa cum laude with a BA from the U of M in 1960.
In 1959, she married William A Hoffman (Tony) in Ann Arbor, Michigan before later moving north to Suttons Bay in 1968. Together they raised three terrific children, enjoying a few years of four seasons before moving west to the sunshine and warmth of San Diego, CA. She put her clever mind to use there, working as a data specialist at Valhalla High School and as plant manager for Granite Hills High School, both of El Cajon, CA. For a time, she enjoyed the laid back California lifestyle while running in the sun, working on her tan and sporting many a questionable hair style but Michigan seemed to call Connie and the family back to northern Michigan. She spent the remainder of her life here, first in Leland and later in Traverse City. She continued her work in the data and finance worlds at the TBA ISD and then, subsequently, having learned some fancy software so well, she was hired by the software company as a consultant.
After her retirement, she became a member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Traverse City, helping out there while volunteering also with the Father Fred Foundation. Connie loved music and spent many years singing with the Grand Traverse Chorale and traveling around Europe on singing adventures with the Central Methodist Church Choir making it as far east as Russia.
She especially enjoyed the Boardman Lake area and could be found riding her bike on the trail or kayaking.
A unique soul, Connie was an ardent wrangler of dust bunnies, potential brand ambassador for LLBean and a devoted dog mom to Cross (the Biter) and to Cady (the Barker.)
Connie is fondly remembered by her three children, Tracy ( John P) VanRaalte, Jon (Adriene Kokowicz) Hoffman and Dennis (Nancy) Hoffman, her grandchildren Dan (Christine) McKee, Laura McKee, John H (Abbigail) VanRaalte, Elizabeth (Erik) Hansen and Jessica (Sean) Price, great grandchildren Isabella, Harper, Elliott and Everett and one great, great grandchild Arya as well as her former husband Tony. She was preceded in death by her mother, father, stepfather, her brother James Block as well as her beloved grandmother Lydia Faust.
During her final years she was cared for by the beautiful people at Cordia in Traverse City. Her family will always be grateful for the warm, loving care and attention given to her in her final days along with the calm embrace of Hospice of Michigan. She was truly blessed.
The family will hold a private celebration of her life in the summer.
In lieu of flowers, Connie would have appreciated donations to the TART Trail, Father Fred Foundation or the Women’s Resource Center.
