Order of the Golden Heart John F. Hofmann Died June 16, 2006

Order of the Golden Heart recipient John F. Hofmann, California-Santa Barbara, ’70, passed away on Friday, June 16, 2006, from complications related to a cancerous brain tumor. Brother Hofmann was 58 years old. He practiced law for over 30 years in Santa Barbara and continued practicing law when his family moved to Ohio in 2000.

Brother Hofmann never wavered in his volunteerism for the California Gamma Chapter. He helped manage the chapter house during the trying times of the 1970s when student-led activism and the Vietnam War drained manpower and quickly forced the chapter to close. Brother Hofmann preserved the facility until the chapter’s return to campus in 1978. He spearheaded a renovation to the facility which began in 2000 and added a state-of-the-art kitchen and library. The chapter dedicated its new library in John’s name in the Fall of 2001. At the 2003 Grand Chapter Conclave in San Antonio, Texas, he received the Fraternity’s highest award, the Order of the Golden Heart.

"John Hofmann was the red thread that held the Cal Gamma Chapter together over these past 30 years. He personified what it meant to give from the heart. He loved the chapter and always enjoyed working with Brothers through their trials, tribulations, and triumphs. He mentored chapter presidents, and showed all the Brothers what it meant to be of service to others. The chapter house specifically stands as a testament to John's solid foundation of responsibility. And, John loved a good argument, making the rest of us clearer about our own beliefs because of his. We'll miss his energy, his zest, and his friendship deeply," said former National Director Dr. Barry Z Posner, California-Santa Barbara '70.

Brother Hofmann is survived by his wife of 20 years, Nancy; sons, Willie and Adam; a brother, Peter, and his partner, Amy Diffenderfer; a sister, Cynthia Hofmann; a niece, Madeline Hunt; a brother-in-law, Lawrence Hunt; and cousins, Susan Makos and Ann Smith.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday July 8 at 4:00 p.m. in the Jon Deitloff Funeral Centre, 4389 Spring Grove Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio. The family will receive guests beginning at 3:00 p.m. Memorials may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), 8041 Hosbrook Road, Suite 422, Cincinnati, 45236.