Robert T. Hofmann
10/15/20
Bob Hofmann passed away after 99 happy years. He arrived in Chicago, IL, on September 18, 1921, born to John Nicholas and Frieda Rudolphsen Hofmann. His older brother John was a best friend, mentor and the source of a lifetime of comfort and loving memories. Bob attended Morton High School (Cicero, IL) and then studied engineering at the University of Cincinnati on a co-op program, where he supported his education with off-campus work.
Bob established his engineering career, then married Marian Beck. They raised three children in Glen Ellyn, IL: son Tom, Lompoc, CA, and daughters Connie Enevold (Jeff), Augusta, MI, and Chris (Jenny), Seymour, TN. They instilled their children with a study ethic: all three went to college and earned advanced degrees.
Bob's work supported the manufacture of Hotpoint refrigerators. His biggest accomplishment was designing plastic ice cube trays. Before the Seventies, Americans struggled with metal trays and levers that cracked the ice and busted knuckles. He selected plastic mixtures and wall angles to create a tray that released all the cubes with a simple twist at the ends. The cost reductions saved GE 'millions a year"; as a bonus they gave him a 12-inch portable color TV.
On Bob's retirement, Marian wished to enjoy their golden years in California, and they relocated to Lompoc. Bob embraced the move and they enjoyed 6 more years together before Marian passed away. He stayed in the area and continued his second "career" playing golf at The Village Country Club, well into his nineties (as a child, he earned spending money by caddying at a country club). At the age of 92, his drives no longer flying as far as they once did, he decided that he didn't have to play the par-5s anymore. Bob enjoyed good food and was a pretty good cook; replacing his fondness for sirloin steak with the local tri-tip barbecue. He enjoyed walking the beach at Surf, watching the breakers at Montana de Oro State Park, and taking trips up the coast for many years.
Quiet but quick to laugh, Bob wasn't big on parties. At his request, the family will skip a memorial. His three children hope his putts roll straight in heaven.
Arrangements are under the direction of JOSEPH P. REARDON FUNERAL HOME &
CREMATION SERVICE, 757 E. Main Street, Ventura.