David Blass Hoffman

1943 - 2016

September 8, 1943 - May 24, 2016 David was the son of Col. Arthur E. Hoffman, USAF, and Mildred (Malka) Blass Hoffman. A clinical psychologist with degrees from UCLA, Yale and Cornell, David began his career as a professor of Community and School Psychology at Florida State University, where he was the principal investigator for numerous studies funded by President Johnson's War on Poverty, including research on fostering empowerment and self-determination in impoverished rural communities. He later taught Health Psychology to physicians and other health care professionals at the UCLA School of Public Health. A gifted lecturer, David was twice honored for distinguished teaching. As a clinical psychologist, David specialized in the treatment of eating disorders. He designed a successful weight control program for the U.S. Navy and consulted with companies on the implementation of employee wellness programs. David was co-founder and former president of the LitvakSIG, the primary internet resource for Lithuanian-Jewish genealogy research. He served on the board of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Los Angeles and presented many research papers and talks on genealogy in the U.S. and abroad. David will be remembered by all who knew him as an energetic, creative, and engaging person. He is survived by his wife Sonia, his children Lisa and Adam, daughter-in-law Liz Marx, granddaughter Julia, and siblings Lane, Jonathan, Michael and Robert. Funeral service at Mount Sinai Hollywood Hills on Sunday, May 29 at 3 pm.