Hoffmann, Susan Magnuson of Needham, Massachusetts passed away peacefully on April 16, 2020 after a life-long fight against complications of juvenile-onset diabetes. Susan was born on June 17, 1952 in Orlando, FL, the second child of Marjorie Magnuson and Joseph Magnuson. She spent her childhood on Cape Cod with her four siblings, cousins and friends, enjoying the wonderful coves, lakes and beaches of the area. In her teens, her father’s job at the Army Corps of Engineers took the family to France and Libya for a few years. She fondly recalled the times the whole family packed into their VW bus for trips through Europe and the Holy Lands. Later, she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Gordon College and a Master’s degree in Psychology from the University of New York at Buffalo.
After working as a social worker in Providence, RI, she married Christoph Hoffmann and took on the challenge of raising his three children from a prior marriage. She gave her full love and devotion to have her stepchildren grow and prosper in a reconstituted family.
From her childhood, Susan was a devoted Christian, starting each day with devotions and participating actively in church life and activities. She volunteered for decades at her local hospital and served as a hospice volunteer. She loved gardening and perfecting her culinary skills and bicycling, kayaking and boating in her beloved Marion, where she and her husband had a seaside second home. There she hosted many extended family celebrations and vacations. Her passion in later years was breeding Siamese kittens and maintaining active friendships with many buyers of her beautiful kittens.
She was deeply grateful for the many caregivers throughout her life who helped her deal with the harsh side effects of Type 1 diabetes which struck her at age 12. In spite of her many medical setbacks, Susan kept her faith and fought courageously to make the best of a steadily more restricted life. She exuded cheerful kindness to all she encountered and reached out with generosity where she saw a need.
Susan is survived by her devoted husband of 37 years, Christoph L. Hoffmann, her stepdaughter Kristen E. Currie, MD of Crescent Beach, FL, her stepson Samuel J. Hoffmann and his wife Lindsey, of Red Lodge, MT, and her stepdaughter Susan E. Hoffmann and her husband Ira Cuelho of Livingston, MT, her eight grandchildren, Bella and Alex Currie, Nelson and Ethan Hoffmann and Albion, Eva, Silas and Azore Cuelho, her mother Marjorie Magnuson, nee Abbot, of Lancaster, PA, her brother David Magnuson and his wife Becky of Columbia, SC, her sister Gail Hutchinson and her husband John of Mechanicsburg, PA, her brother Peter Magnuson of Ocala, FL and her sister Carol Wolgemuth and her husband Philip, her sister in law Elisabeth Laps and her husband Rainer of Fichtenberg, Germany, her sister in law Beate Leitgeber and her husband Heinz of Dülmen, Germany as well as her nearby niece Kate Curran of Arlington, MA, and her many other beloved nieces and nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews. A memorial service celebrating Susan’s life will be held at the Wellesley Hills Congregational Church once the COVID pandemic permits.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham, Attn: Samantha Sherman, Office of Philanthropy, 148 Chestnut Street, Needham, MA 02492. Please make checks payable to "Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Needham" and include Susan Hoffmann in the check memo line. Gifts may also be made online at www.bidneedham.org/giving or by calling The Philanthropy Office at 781-453-3007.