Kenneth D. Hoffman, of Omaha, NE, 85, died Sunday, December 3, 2023, at his home.
Born in Brockway on January 16, 1938, he was the only child of the late Kenneth H. and Josephine E. (Repiscak) Hoffman.
When Little League baseball began in Brockway in 1950, he hit the first home run in league history.
He graduated in 1955 from Brockway High School where he played Varsity basketball and baseball.
He attended the DuBois Undergraduate Center (now Penn State DuBois) and later, Clarion State College.
He worked as a sportswriter/photographer for the DuBois Courier Express before going into the bowling business with the late Nesty Mitskavich at DuBois Lanes.
He worked as a ticket agent for Crown Airways at DuBois-Jefferson County Airport, was a partner in the Behind the Moon lounge at the airport; worked as a substitute rural mail carrier from the Post Office in Brockway and was a partner in the Big T restaurant in Curwensville.
He and his parents owned and operated Tiny Tee Golf in Brockway, a lighted par 3 course. He was also the proprietor of Timber Lanes bowling alley in Brockway.
He moved to Colorado in 1972 and went to work for United Parcel Service as a driver. He was named Communications Manager of UPS’ West Region in Omaha in 1977. He retired in 2000.
After he retired, he and his wife enjoyed a quiet but busy life at their home with their pets while also traveling across the United States and abroad to England, Ireland and Italy.
He was an avid golfer, devoted follower of his grandchildren’s baseball, softball, basketball, football and soccer teams and collected movie, sports and other memorabilia.
He is survived by his wife, Frances V. DeGeorge, whom he married in 1987. He is also survived by four children: Kenneth A. “Nick” Hoffman of Omaha, Penny L. Welsh of Brockway, Kevin S. Hoffman of Reynoldsville, and Jennifer Jo Mason of Gretna, Neb.; three stepchildren: Dr. Robert Brett Barger of Gainesville, Ga., Patrick Todd Barger of Jacksonville, Fla., and Audra Barger Moore of Tampa, Fla.; 18 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. (ET) on Friday, December 8, from the Heafey, Hoffmann, Dvorak and Cutler Funeral Home in Omaha.
To view a live Broadcast of the Service, please visit www.heafeyheafey.com and click “Live Cast” button at top of the homepage. Burial will be in Omaha.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Alzheimer’s Association or to Beechtree Union Church, 5061 Westville Road, Brockway, PA 15824.
