Passed away peacefully at him home in Lake Forest, while surrounded by loved ones, on May 23rd. Born on 2 Jan, 1946 in Des Moines, IA to John Richard Hoff and Valetta Florence (Scott), he graduated from Drake University in 1967 with a degree in Business Admin. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and was active in USAF R.O.T.C., commissioning as a 2/Lt. on 5 June, 1967. His initial assignment was at Dyess AFB, Abilene, TX where he also attended Hardin-Simmons Univ. He completed a Master's Degree in Business Admin. at Cal State Fullerton in 1971. He did 1 year studying constitutional law at Oxford University in England in 1973 and earned his Juris Doctorate degree in 1975 from S.W. University in L.A. In July 1975 he married Shirley Jo Ward and they had 2 children, which they raised in Winnetka. Because of his love of flying and travel, he completed his FAA Private Pilot's License in 1976 also earning his Instrument, Commercial and Flight Instructor ratings, and flew recreationally up until his passing. In 1976 he moved to Chicago, IL, joining the firm of Lord, Bissell & Brook, working in aviation litigation. He formed his own law practice in 1981 and merged The Hoff Law Group with Cremer & Spina in 2016. He earned a 2nd Master's Degree of Military Science from AMU of Manassas, VA in 1996. He retired as a Colonel in the Air Force, receiving the Legion of Merit in 1998 after 31 years of service, which included his assignment in the Pentagon. He became a licensed Illinois Real Estate Broker, CPCU & CCA in 1980. He taught as an Adjunct Professor of Aviation Law at John Marshall Law School for 20+ years. He loved participating in the Boy Scouts of America, with his son, and continued to serve as Asst. Scout Master with Troop 20, in Winnetka, for 24 years. He performed in the Winnetka Village Follies for 25+ years, entertaining audiences and co-stars with skits and his unique brand of humor. He was an avid collector of red sports cars, war books, pilot wings, military medals, coins, and anything aviation related. He is survived by his wife, Harriet (Ross), son John Baron (34), daughter Jennifer Jo (Douglas) (36), step-son Douglas, and 5 grandchildren. His Celebration of Life will be at the Winnetka Community House on Sunday, June 16th at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to the USO of Illinois, in John's honor, where he served on the B.O.D. for over 20 years (www.uso.org).

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Published by Chicago Tribune from Jun. 5 to Jun. 9, 2019.

Memories and Condolences
for John Hoff

14 Entries

Ed Weisgerber

October 4, 2019

I never met Mr. Hoff but I came across his obit while searching for a different Attorney Hoff. I was fascinated by his life accomplishments and his insatiable appetite for learning and self-fulfillment. Love the picture. What a remarkable man.

Ed Weisgerber, Esq. Pittsburgh, PA

David Huff

July 22, 2019

I am saddened to see that John has passed. A couple of years ago John showed up as a match on my DNA test and with his help and his prior extensive work on his family tree helped me put together the pieces of our shared Hoff/Huff family tree back to our original Dutch immigrant Grandfather who settled in New Amsterdam in 1650. I never personally met John, we conversed though emails but I could tell we shared a similar sense of humor. Maybe it was something in the Hoff/Huff DNA. RIP cousin - thank you for being so generous with your time in helping me.

Christian Menzel

June 21, 2019

John was one of the most generous men I knew! Meeting him for the first time in Munich in 2001, I visited John in Chicago 2003. He always offered me and my family to stay with him coming to Chicago. I will never forget him inviting me to fly together with his son JB in his Cessna from Panwaukee to Meigs Field and back - the same route I flew several times on Microsoft Flight Simulator in the early 80ies as a boy. Every time I came to ORD as an airline pilot, we met for dinner or brunch the next day. Not having the same opinion on many things, he always valued and understood my point of view - something that only few people do these days!

John, it is very sad your trip on this planet has ended. But I am sure that you will keep on travelling - whereever that will be.

Your friend Christian
Grafing (Munich area), Germany

My condolences for the family!

June 14, 2019

My sincere condolences to the Hoff family. I'm greatly sadden to hear of John's passing.

I have always known John to have been an avid aviation enthusiast, a great friend, a wonderful speaker, and a astonishing story teller with an incredible sense of humor.

It was a privilege to know John and I for one will greatly miss him and his wit.

With my deepest sympathy,

Ed Ban

Naperville, Ill.

Joe Benero

June 13, 2019

John, it was a privilege to serve on the board with you all those years. Your good humor and positive attitude but most of all your friendship made it fun and certainly worth while. Thank you for the great favor at a difficult time. I wish we could have spent more time together in the the last few years. You are cherished and in my prayers. Joe Benero

David Ward

June 12, 2019

I condole with family during this time of loss.DJ

June 11, 2019

Very sorry to learn of John passing away.
I was part of John's Pilot wing collecting, having dealt with him on many occasions. He was always easy to work with and always did what he said he was going to do.
Gordon Cragg

Nikolai Ehlers

June 11, 2019

Dear Family,

please accept my sincere condolences on your loss.
I first met John many years ago and early on in my professional life at the Embry Riddle Aviation Law Symposium and was deeply impressed by his personality and incredible sense of humour. I was very happy when he accepted my invitation as dinner speaker at the Munich Liability Seminar of the European Air Law Association in 2001, because I knew that he would add a valuable human dimension that night to the otherwise serious event - and sure enough, he delivered and entertained a large group of international colleagues.
I was also always impressed by John's love and pride of his family and that he was never shy to share it with others.
And it was fun to see how much he enjoyed to travel to Germany - and speak the language.
It was a privilege to have known John and I cherish my lasting memories of him. RIP.

Warm sympathy,
Niki Ehlers
Munich, Germany

Eternal Affection Arrangement- BASKET INCLUDED

a loved one

Sent Flowers

Deb Burroughs

June 9, 2019

God bless you John.
To your family, please accept my heartfelt condolences on your loss. You have truly been blessed by John's presence in your lives. May you find comfort in a lifetime of good memories and much laughter.
JB, he was So proud of your progress in aviation, always kept me up to date, from your 1st solo on, and I was thrilled to hear you'd joined the American Airlines family.

My first recollection of John was his being president of the Phi Delta Theta house next door, and navigating sports car rallies for me in my (red!) Austin Healey while at Drake U. He graduated a year ahead of me and our lives took different paths, that is until I was waiting for a bus under a porte cochere in the rain in Waikiki. When 2 young men ducked under the shelter and stopped beside me, I looked up at the one next to me, and exclaimed, "John Hoff?????!!!"
Over the years we added to our common interests in cars, laughter and Drake. John got a law degree. I am from a legal family in southern Illinois, with my late father's law firm now having a couple offices in the Chicago area. We both got pilot certificates. While John branched out into many facets of aviation, I embraced the airline way of life.
I could count on getting clippings from "Hemmings" about Packards and Austin Healeys, John knowing I still have Dad's Packard and will forever miss the Healey. And oh, how I'll miss John's cartoons and jokes!

Godspeed, my friend... and thanks for taking the time to stay in touch over the years.

Suzie Darlington-Ruggiero

June 8, 2019

I'm so very sorry to learn of John's passing. He was a very dear friend of mine and my family. I will miss his calls with laughter and with talk of his future travels. He was always traveling even when sick. While he was very sick he was still going off to work very early in the morning, handling his legal cases! I just could not believe how he could do that! His drive for life was so strong it kept him going! Whenever we would talk he would say that we both are very strong because we are still doing well with our cancers. He was amazed that I was! I never have gone thru all that John did and he'd still get around and still have the laughter he had. He'd joke all the time. He was an incredible person that God put on this earth. I will miss him terribly. My family remembers when he visited us and did our family tree' his passion! They send their sadness of his passing. A man filled with all the love and caring, brilliance in every respect. Rest In Peace dearest John! We miss you!Suzie Darlington Ruggiero and family

Your neighbor..

June 7, 2019

Our sincere condolences to the Hoff family for the loss of your dear love one. Our prayers are as yours, that God provide his care and comfort you each day.
- Psalms 145:18,19

Debbie Sullivan

June 6, 2019

Dear family and friends, I share in your grief but are comforted by my memories, as I hope that you are. He was a very special caring, loving and giving man and I am proud to call him my cousin! May God bless you during this difficult time and my thoughts and prayers are with all. With highest regards and love, Debbie

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