Bobby Rue Hoff

Bob Hoff (Daddy, Pop & Papa) passed peacefully in his sleep the morning of January 22 2026 at the age of 96. Bob was the second child born to William Elmer Hoff and Auda Marie (Prock) Hoff in Loring Mo, an extinct town in Wright County Mo. When Bob was very young, his folks moved their family to Imperial Valley California. Bob was the middle child of three, he had an older sister W. Janeace McGrath and a younger brother William ( Bill ) Hoff. The family moved around a bit, having lived in SW Missouri, Imperial Valley, San Bernardino and Fontana Ca.

Bob briefly attended San Bernardino High School in SB Ca. Although, after the family relocated again, Bob graduated from Imperial Valley Union High School in Imperial Ca. in 1947. Later that same year, Bob was attending a football game at a high school in El Centro Ca, where he met (Carlynn) June Grider. The following year Bob,19 and June,16, were married on Sept 4, 1948 in Yuma Arizona. In August of 1949 Bob and June welcomed their first child (Dennis) and in November of 1951 their second child (Karen). Sadly, in 1955 Bob, Bill and Janeace lost their mother after a long battle with cancer. Later their father remarried the widow of a preacher, Dona Harrison. My dad stated many times over the years that he was blessed to have had 2 wonderful mothers.

Bob served in the California National Guard from 1948 - 1951. After leaving the National Guard Bob began his career as an engineer, drafting highway drainage plans for the California State Division of Highways in San Bernardino Ca. Bob and June now lived in Fontana Ca. where they welcomed three more children to their growing family, in 1956 (Kimball), 1958 (Rhonda) and 1960 (Shelly). Quickly outgrowing their home in Fontana, Bob and June purchased property in San Bernardino and began building their first home. While this new home was still under construction, Bob and June learned that baby #6 was on the way and their final child was born in 1962 (Andrea). Having been raised in The Church of Christ by his folks, Bob and June also raised their family in the Church of Christ where Bob eventually became the song leader at every church we attended.

In 1992 Bob retired after a 40 year career with the Ca. Div of Hwys. With their kids all grown and out of the house, Bob and June packed up and moved to the rural area of Ramona in San Diego County Ca. After a few years there, they moved once again to Clear Lake in Lake County Ca. After living in Clear Lake for several years, they decided in 2001 to relocate to SW Missouri where they built their dream home and lived out their lives surrounded by beautiful trees and greenery. Pop was an animal lover, he loved seeing the white tail deer every evening and watching the birds at the bird feeder outside the window.

Bob was a good Christian man and a wonderful loving father. He provided for his wife and raised 6 children on a single income. He loved music, his favorites were bluegrass and gospel, and gospel bluegrass of course. Dune buggies were also a passion, we took the dune buggy out to play in the sand dunes many times growing up, camping in the Glamis desert or El Golfo, Mexico with our aunt, uncle and cousins.

Bob was preceded in death by his mother Auda Hoff, his father W. Elmer Hoff, his stepmother, Dona Harrison Hoff, his sister Janeace, his brother Bill, his oldest daughter Karen, his oldest son Dennis and most recently June, his wife of nearly 72 years passed away in August of 2020.

Bob is survived by four of his children, Kimball, Rhonda, Shelly and Andrea. His grandchildren, Ahren, Justin, Christopher, Bobby, Jacob, Joshua, Jessica and Rebecca, as well as 6 great grandchildren so far...

-- Andrea Hoff, child #6