William J. Hof Jr., a Lifelong Poughkeepsie Resident, Dies at 85
William J. Hof Jr., a lifelong resident of Poughkeepsie, passed away peacefully on November 23, at the age of 85. This follows a decade long fight with cancer, a fight he beat many times.
He was born to William and Frances (Fraleigh), December 28, 1931 in Poughkeepsie, NY. He is survived by four children - Roger and his wife Janet, David and his wife Wendy, his daughters Cindy and Mary; four grandchildren – Ryan, Alissa, Sarah and Nicholas; sister Donna and her husband John; niece Hadley and her husband Guiseppe; grandnieces Sophia and Mia, and grandnephew Guiseppe; along with numerous cousins.
Bill graduated from F.D. Roosevelt High School in Hyde Park, NY in 1950, and went on to work at IBM for over four decades. He never missed an opportunity to explain to anyone and everyone how IBM was the leader in everything. As he worked his way from toolmaker to senior quality assurance engineer, he learned many ways to fix anything that was broken. He found great reward in the challenge of figuring out how to fix things.
Bill spent more than two decades as the treasurer for The Pirate Canoe Club. This is where all the world's problems could be solved in a leisurely afternoon watching the boats go up and down the Hudson River or playing shuffleboard. During his years as a member of the PCC he was most proud when making and dishing out his famous chili.
Bill was an avid golfer throughout much of his life, playing on many leagues. He was also an avid woodworker. He thoughtfully crafted, created and built numerous items for both family and friends throughout his life. Once he retired, he added painting to his list of accomplishments. This came as a pleasant surprise, because he never realized he could paint. He commented that he wasn’t sure how he ever found the time to work for a living because once retired, he found himself always busy fixing, building and helping his family and friends for 20 years.
There will be a gathering from 9-10 AM at St. Martin de Porres Church prior to the Mass of Christian Burial that will be held at 10 AM on November 28, 2017 in St. Martin De Porres Church, 118 Cedar Valley Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 . Burial will be immediately following at Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the charity of your choice. If you wish to send an online condolence please visit our website at www.wmgmillerfuneralhome.com