Shirley S. Hoffe

Shirley S. Hoffe
Resident of Orinda
Shirley Hoffe, beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother passed away peacefully at home on April 14, 2025, just 2 days shy of her 100th birthday. She was born in Oakland California to Harold Bagnall and Genevieve Dougery.
Shirley married R. Bruce Hoffe on New Years Eve in 1949. They shared 64 years together. Oakland and Berkeley was their home early in their marriage while Bruce attended law school. They moved to Pasadena for a few short years, and finally back to the Bay Area. They were among the first to build a house in 1957 on what is now Ivy Drive in Orinda. This would become the home where they would raise their three children, and spend the rest of their lives.
Shirley was a Girl Scout troop leader, part of a neighborhood gourmet group, and attended to 44 beautiful rose bushes that surrounded her home. She was a member of the Womens Athletic Club of Alameda County from the age of 16 until well into her 80s. Shirley and Bruce were avid sports fans who attended countless Raider, As, 49er, and Cal Bear games.
She loved to travel and often made international trips with her family. Her favorite destination was the old family homestead in Donegal, Ireland. Another was a small cabin in Lake Tahoe that was built from the ground up by family members. Shirley would eventually meet her future in-laws for the first time in this modest cabin.
What she loved the most was gathering with family and friends for holidays and birthdays. Shirley cultivated a home base, a safe harbor for her family and their friends with acceptance and warmth. She was a fiercely protective matriarch who valued connection and belonging.
Shirley was preceded in death by her parents Harold and Genevieve, her husband Bruce, and her son Jeff Hoffe. She is survived by daughter Diane Donaldson (John); son Michael Hoffe (Carol); daughter-in-law Nancy Hoffe; grandchildren Brooke, Lindsay, Nicholas and Kevin; and 6 great-grandchildren.
We are especially grateful for the kind and compassionate care from her caregivers Laura and Lorena. We are also deeply grateful for the expert help from Sequoia East Bay Hospice.
A private graveside service will be held May 10, 2025. To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Shirley, please visit our Tree Store.