Claire Helen Brockington

1939 - 2019

Claire Helen Brockington

Long-time Kitsap County resident, Claire Helen Brockington, 80, passed away at Providence St. Peter's Hospital in Olympia on December 7, 2019. She was born in Boston, MA, on November 20, 1939 to Felix and Helen (Donaghey) Brockington and was the oldest of three children. At the age of 9, her family moved to Southern California. She graduated from San Fernando High School and attended San Jose State University. In January 1959, she married George R. Hoffman and left college to become a fulltime mother to their four children Lorie ('60), Cathy ('61), Carolyn ('62) and Bob ('68). When her children were young, she volunteered as a teacher's aide, room mother, PTA officer and girl scout leader. In 1976, the family relocated to Kitsap County, and in 1980, Claire and George divorced. Claire moved back to California for a few years before returning to Washington permanently.

She held various office management positions in the Poulsbo area until 1991 when she moved to Spokane to care for her granddaughter and finish her B.A. at Eastern Washington University. She graduated summa cum laude in 1995 with degrees in History and Education, and taught high school social studies for four years before retiring due to debilitating Rheumatoid Arthritis. She spent most of her retirement living in Poulsbo, but loved spending time with her grandchildren and readily accepted opportunities to relocate to help care for them in Spokane, Dallas, and Walla Walla. She enjoyed her Silver Sneakers exercise classes and was an avid reader and gardener. She also loved her Irish heritage and was thrilled to take a bucket-list trip to Ireland with her children in 2018.

Claire will be dearly missed by her family and friends. She is survived by her daughters Lorie Hoffman Mastin (Dave) of Olympia, Cathy Hoffman DeGennaro (Joe) of Newcastle, and Carolyn Hoffman Nall (Jim) of Poulsbo, and her son Bob Hoffman (Lisa) of Poulsbo; her grandchildren Brandon Nall (Kellie), Brittany Ramsey (Matt), Ryan Myers, Brooke Nall-Marcotte, Ashley Bradley (Sam), Heather Lee (Corey), Kaitlin Mastin, Taylor Mastin and Brianna Hoffman; her six great-grandchildren Julie Nall Ramsey, Roman Marcotte, Ella Nall, Nadia Marcotte, Jovi Nall, and Cole Nall; her sister-in-law Rhonda Brockington of Junction City, OR, nephew David Brockington of Plymouth, England, niece Kim Brockington Schatz (Chris) of San Jose, CA, great-niece Imogen Brockington, and many cousins in New England.

Claire was preceded in death by her parents, brothers A. J. "Bud" Brockington and Richard D. Brockington, her sister-in-law Lally Brockington, and her beloved niece Melissa Brockington.

A celebration of life service is planned for January 4, 2020, 2:00pm, Poulsbo First Lutheran Church, 18920 4th Avenue N.E., Poulsbo, WA 98370.

Donations may be made in her memory to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance or The Arthritis Foundation.