TOLEDO-Thomas W. Hoffer, PhD, age 68, of East Point, FL and formerly of Toledo died on Saturday, December 9, 2006, in Tallahassee Memorial Hospital following a short illness. A public graveside service will be held Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 11:00 A.M., at Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo, followed by a Fellowship Gathering at Christ United Methodist Church Worship Center in Toledo. Pastor Mary Schnepf will officiate.
Thomas W. Hoffer was born on May 31, 1938, in Toledo, Iowa, the son of Martin H. and Margaret K. (Plum) Hoffer.
He graduated from Toledo High School in 1956. He completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Iowa in 1960, and then a Master of Arts in 1969 and a PhD in 1972 at the University of Wisconsin.
Beginning in 1961, Tom served as an officer in the U.S. Navy. His service included an assignment in Viet Nam. He received the Viet Nam Service Medal and the Republic of Viet Nam Campaign Medal, and was honorably discharged at the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
From 1972 until his retirement in 1996, Tom was a professor in the Department of Communication at Florida State University. Subsequently, he was the founding publisher of the "The Franklin Chronicle," a newspaper in Franklin County, Florida.
Preceding him in death were his parents; and one sister, Suzanne who died in childhood.
Survivors include one brother, Jerry Hoffer of El Paso, TX; one cousin, Mary Bergeson of Belleview, WA; two nephews, Craig Hoffer of El Paso, TX and Ronald Martin Hoffer of Port Charlotte, FL; and several other distant relatives.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are appreciated to Christ United Methodist Church in Toledo.