Alexander Carr Hoffman

Alexander Carr Hoffman
Alexander Carr Hoffman, 92, passed away peacefully at his home in Claverack, New York on August 6, 2018. He had relocated from Manchester Center, Vermont, where he and his late wife lived for 26 years. Prior to retiring to Vermont, he raised his family in Darien, where he was a member of the First Congregational Church. He was married to Marion Morse for 62 years, until her death in 2016. The love of his life, he always referred to her as "my bride". The final year of his life was spent with his children Susan and Peter, their spouses Dennis Horn and Linda McNutt, and his grandchildren, Alec and Luke Butterfield, and Serena Hoffman. The son of Ira and Sue Carr Hoffman, he grew up in Winnetka, Illinois, and Minneapolis. He graduated from the Blake School, enlisting in the Navy at the age of 17.
Following the end of WW ll, he was grateful to attend Dartmouth College on the GI Bill, Class of 1950, and then earned his masters degree from Tuck Business School. He worked in New York City for Lever Brothers and Bristol Meyers, and for many years, Doubleday Books. He was deeply immersed in copyright law, and represented the United States at International Book Fairs in both the USSR and China, when they were just opening up to the west. His experiences there cemented his beliefs in free expression and democracy. In the last 15 years of his life, he transformed from being a lifelong political conservative into a very liberal-minded citizen.
He was a gifted athlete and avid flyfisherman. He skied, played tennis, and golf into his 90s. He was a dapper gentleman who loved travel, and was a great supporter of the arts. He was very proud of his two children who both became artists. His attendance at the recent opening of an exhibit of Susan and Peter's at The Southern Vermont Art Center, nine days before his passing, was a capstone to a life well lived. His friendships were many and long-lasting, giving his life great joy and meaning, and he will be dearly missed. Rest in Peace.