Daniel N. Hoffman

1926 - 2022

Daniel N. Hoffman
1926 - 2022
Resident of San Jose
Daniel N. Hoffman died peacefully in his sleep on January 15, 2022, at the age of 95. He was born in Utica, NY on July 7, 1926, to Rabbi Isidor Hoffman and Hilda (Burstein) and was raised in New York City with his brother, Richard. He was proud of his Jewish heritage and remained faithful to his religion his entire life.
Dan spent many days of his youth at Yankee Stadium and was in attendance when Lou Gehrig gave his famous "Luckiest Man" speech. A great admirer of Eleanor Roosevelt, one of his treasured memories was the afternoon he and fellow Columbia students spent with her at Hyde Park. Dan was a strong proponent of peaceful activism. He participated in non-violent Civil Rights demonstrations in 1948, resulting in his arrest three times.
Dan received his BA from Columbia, MA from Haverford and law degree from Columbia Law School. He was licensed to practice law in New York, Oregon and California, ultimately settling in CA and practicing law there from 1960-2000. He married Nancy Rosenfeld in 1961 and they raised three children in Saratoga.
He was extremely devoted to social justice and political causes throughout his life. He worked tirelessly for the Democratic Party, walking precincts, working phone banks and registering voters. He was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Santa Clara Democratic Party in 2020. He was Co-Founder and Board Member of the MLK Association of Santa Clara Valley and helped organize the annual MLK Day Freedom Train. He was a Board Member of the NAACP and the African American Heritage House. Dan was President of Reduce Gun Violence of Santa Clara County and was involved with many other civic and political organizations. He was a feminist and longtime member of the League of Women Voters. Dan received numerous awards over the years and was especially proud of the G.E.M (Greatly Enlightened Male) Award that he was given in 2015 from D.A.W.N (Democratic Activists for Women Now).
He was an avid sports fan and especially enjoyed watching baseball and football. He was a voracious reader and book collector. Part of his generous spirit was buying books in order to give them away. Dan loved reading the daily newspaper, collecting stamps, playing bridge, watching old movies and bragging about his children.
Dan was an outspoken progressive who dedicated his life to community service. He was a true philanthropist who gave equally of his time and his money. He was altruistic and kindhearted and believed in empowering others to succeed. Dan lived a purposeful life and will be dearly missed.
He is survived by his three children, Sharon Hoffman, Jeremy Hoffman and Carolyn Hoffman Carlesimo (P.J.) and grandchildren, Kyle (19) and Casey (16).
To honor Dan's life, please consider a donation to the Santa Clara County Democratic Party or the African American Heritage House in San Jose.


View the online memorial for Daniel N. Hoffman