John Lawrence (Larry) Hoffmann
John Lawrence (Larry) Hoffmann
1914-2011
Born on February 5, 1914, in San Francisco, CA, to Rudolph and Nellie Collins Hoffmann, he was the oldest of four children. He graduated from Polytechnic High School in December 1931, and started college at University of California, Berkeley, in January 1932, working at many jobs to pay his way through college. He was voted into Tau Beta Pi and Chi Epsilon engineering hon-or societies and graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering and was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in the Coast Artillery.
Larry worked for Pacific Gas & Electric, San Francisco, until 1940, when he went on active duty with the Army. His first tour of duty was at Fort Scott, then with the Quartermaster Corps at Fort Mason. He transferred to the Corps of Engineers and was stationed at the Umatilla Ordnance Depot. In December 1941, he was transferred to Gowen Field in the position of Area Engineer. Larry met and married Elaine Gunderson, who was a secretary at The Gowen Field Subdepot, on May 24, 1942. After two years at Gowen Field he received overseas orders and went by troop ship to India. From there he was transported in a C-47 over the “Hump” to Kunming, China. He was assigned to the District Engineer at Yunnani, to be in charge of construction on the Burma Road. While in China he was promoted to Major and received the Bronze Star Medal. After the war he was a reserve officer in the 31st Engineer Battalion and retired with the rank of Lt. Colonel.
In 1946 he started an engineering firm partnership in Boise, which later expanded to Lewiston and became the firm of Hoffmann, Fiske, and Wyatt. He was the proud father of three sons and one daughter.
He enjoyed traveling, bird hunting, golf, and boating and water skiing with his children. In 1978 he and Elaine built a cabin at Lake Cascade, which became a family gathering place.
Larry was a life member of the Idaho Society of Professional Engineers and the American Civil Engineers Society. He was a member of King of Glory Lutheran Church and served on the build-ing and property committees. He and Elaine enjoyed traveling after his retirement.
Larry was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Charles and George Hoffmann. He is survived by wife Elaine, son John Jr., son Mark and wife Becky, daughter Janis and husband Al Thumler, and son Tom and wife Amy. Also three grandchildren, Sarah Hoffmann, Mark Hoff-mann and Connor Hoffmann, and his sister Frances Hansen.
Special thanks to the Willow Park Memory Care Staff and to Hearts for Hospice. In lieu of flow-ers, memorials may be made to King of Glory Lutheran Church, or a charity of your choice.
There will be a memorial service at King of Glory Lutheran Church, 3430 N. Maple Grove Rd., at 2:00 pm on Saturday, March 19, 2011. Private family burial will be held at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery will full military honors. Funeral arrangements are with Alden-Waggoner Fu-neral Chapel, Boise.
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