Necrology
John Ferguson Hoffman '34
Mar. 14, 1912-Jul. 1, 2003
John Ferguson Hoffman ’34, who spent his working life in the field of corporate finance, was born on March 14, 1912, in Utica, NY. His parents were George F. Hoffman, a buyer, and the former Margaret Ferguson. John Hoffman came up the Hill in 1930 from nearby New Hartford as a graduate of New Hartford High School. He joined Theta Delta Chi, went out for soccer, sang in the Choir, and played trumpet in the Band. After two years at the College, he transferred to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, preparatory to a business career.
John Hoffman earned a B.S. degree in economics in 1934. While employed in New York City, he took courses in accounting at New York University and obtained his certification as a public accountant. He was working for Price, Waterhouse, & Co., the accounting firm, when his career was interrupted in 1942 by a call to service in the U.S. Army during World War II. Commissioned as an officer in the Finance Corps, he left the Army as a major in 1946.
John Hoffman returned to Price, Waterhouse in Buffalo, NY, as a senior accountant. He subsequently held a variety of positions, including executive vice president of Mary Lee Candies (1951-57) and controller of Power Equipment Co. (1957-61) and assistant secretary-treasurer of North Electric Co. (1961-63), both in Galion, OH. In 1965, after two years as treasurer of Osco, Inc., he became internal auditor of Gould, Inc., in Cleveland. He retired in 1977 but continued as a part-time corporate consultant for several years thereafter. His leisure time was devoted to golf, hiking, horticulture, and keeping up with his investments.
In 1987, the year he and Bobbe E. James were wed, John Hoffman took up residence in Hendersonville, NC. He was residing there at the time of his death on July 1, 2003. He was predeceased by a daughter and son, born of his first marriage, in 1941, to Virginia Howe.
