Obituary of Charles J. Hoffman

Charles J. Hoffman, age 97, of Trumbull, passed away Thursday, April 23, 2015 at the Jewish Home for the Elderly, Fairfield. He was the beloved husband of Martha A. Gavlik Hoffman. Born in New York City on February 1, 1918, but grew up in the north end of Bridgeport and was a son of the late Stephen and Mary Ophent Hoffman. A graduate of Central High School and the Bridgeport Trade School before serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, having attained the rank of Major. He was awarded the Soldiers Medal for Heroism for saving a pilot from a burning plane. He worked as a printer for Wilson H. Lee, which printed The New Yorker. In 1951 he built his home in Trumbull and found great enjoyment deep sea fishing, cooking, bowling and golfing with the seniors at Tashua Knolls. His greatest pleasure however was found in gardening and was evident in the numerous awards he had received from the Men's Garden Club of Bridgeport and Stratford. He was a member of the Gladiola Society and was awarded the Best of Show in New England for his flowers. A very active member of the Good Shepard Lutheran Church in Monroe, he worked in the soup kitchen, was a salad maker on spaghetti night, and was the official greeter for the church and never passed up a kiss. Charles and Martha also worked to create the stained glass windows in the church. He also loved to travel with his wife Martha, having visited the Panama Canal, Alaska, and Hawaii. In addition to his beloved wife of 70 years, Martha, other survivors include his daughters, Ellen Sutton of Budd Lake, NJ and Betty Hoffman of Woodbury, two cherished granddaughters, Laura and Katherine Sutton, a brother-in-law, Anthony Fonck of Woodbury and a sister-in-law, Eleanor Gavlik of Stratford, as well as several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sisters, Agnes Pagliuco and Marion Fonck and a brother, Louis Hoffman. Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 27, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. in Good Shepard Lutheran Church, 466 Elm St., Monroe. Interment with full military honors will follow in Lakeview Cemetery, Bridgeport. Friends may greet the family at the Abriola Parkview Funeral Home, 419 White Plains Rd., Trumbull on Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.