Richard H. "Dick" Hoff

Richard H. Hoff, 92, long-time resident of Bloomfield and husband of the late Dorothy Christiansen Hoff, died peacefully on Sunday, (June 22, 2014) at Seabury Skilled Nursing Facility in Bloomfield after a long illness. Richard ("Dick") was born in Evanston, Illinois, on August 5, 1921. He graduated from Evanston Township High School in 1939, and from University of Rochester in 1943, with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Richard joined Pratt & Whitney Aircraft as a performance engineer in 1944, worked for many years in Product Support Engineering, Marketing, and remained with the company until his retirement in 1981 from the position of Vice President, JT10D Programs. Dick was an active and involved member of First Church of Christ, Congregational in West Hartford. He served as Senior Deacon, as Moderator, and as co-chair of the Elevator Campaign to improve access at First Church. Dick, along with his wife Dorothy, joined the Hartford Association for Retarded Children, now HARC, in 1952 and later served as President and on the Board of Directors. In 1991, he was a co-founder of ChurchCo, serving adults with disabilities living independently in the community. Dick enjoyed woodworking and gardening, traveling, and the company of family and friends. He dearly loved Nantucket Island, where he and his wife spent their summers with extended family for 35 years. Dick was an enthusiastic fan of the UConn Women's Basketball Team and UConn football team, and all sports participated in by his sons, grandsons, nieces and nephews. Dick was loved and admired for his leadership, his deep faith, his tireless work on behalf of those with disabilities, and his ability to relate to everyone using story-telling and humor. His life was truly a blessing to all those who came into contact with him. In addition to his beloved wife of 57 years, Dick was predeceased by his brother Donald. He is survived by sons, Carl C. Hoff of Dayton, OH, Richard W. Hoff and his wife, Janice of Glastonbury, and Gordon D. Hoff of Bloomfield; two grandsons, Brian Hoff and his wife Stephanie of Plymouth, MI, and Eric Hoff and his wife Cristina of Boston, MA, and a beloved great-granddaughter, Sophia of Boston. The family expresses its appreciation to the sensitive and caring staff of Seabury. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 12, 2014 at 1 PM at First Church of Christ, Congregational, West Hartford. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to HARC, 900 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105 or to First Church of Christ Congregational, 12 South Main Street, West Hartford, CT 06107. For directions and online condolences, please visit www.taylorandmodeen.com.