OBITUARY

Mary M. Hoffman

Born March 12, 1929 in Eugene, Oregon to Harry and Ruth Myers. Mary grew up in small Oregon communities through the Depression years until her family moved to Portland where she graduated from Grant High School in 1945. An ambitious student, she entered Oregon State University at age 16 and received a BS in botany in 1949. While at OSU she met and married Willard E. Hoffman. Although her primary occupation of the first part of her adult life was as a homemaker and mother of four children, she maintained an active intellectual life and continued to nurture her interest in botany and horticulture. As her children grew older Mary found work in newspapers and developed a second career as a journalist; beginning with garden columns in the Newport News-Times and the Ontario Argus Observer and culminating as society editor for the Oregon City Enterprise Courier. Her feature stories relating to the local community earned her recognition by the Oregon Women’s Press Club. Throughout her adult life Mary was an active member of many clubs and organizations such as the League of Women Voters, American Association of University Women, North American Lily Society, North American Rock Garden Society, and the Hardy Plant Society. She contributed countless volunteer hours on national conference planning boards, bulb and plant sales, and on editorial boards for various botanical journals. She served for a time on the Clackamas County Library and was recognized for her successful efforts to promote passage of library levies. Mary loved gardening, books, sewing, baking, and rug hooking and will be remembered for her avid curiosity, generous giving of time and knowledge, acute sense of humor and hearty laughter, and of course, her homemade cookies. Mary passed away on the night of the first fall frost, October 12, 2009, following a thirteen year triumph over multiple myeloma. Her husband of 59 years, Willard Hoffman and her brother, Bill Myers preceded her in death. She is survived by an overgrown, miraculous garden and three daughters, Margaret Ceniceros, Sylvia Hoffman, and Diana Milia; a son, Wayne Hoffman; two granddaughters, Elizabeth Navarro and Anna-Maria Ceniceros; and two great-granddaughters. Donations made in the memory of Mary Hoffman may be made to the Clackamas County Library System.

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