Peter Paul Hoffmann

Peter P. Hoffmann

Rhinecliff - Peter Paul Hoffmann, 78, of Rhinecliff, NY, passed away suddenly on April 18, 2014 at the Northern Dutchess Hospital. Peter was the beloved husband of Sarah (Briggs) Hoffmann who survives at home with Giotto, his constant companion.

Peter was an award-winning author, journalist, and photographer. He has been advocating for solutions to climate change for more than 30 years as the editor and publisher of the "Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Letter". He devoted a great deal of his life to the cause of hydrogen and fuel cells as the non-polluting energy carrier of the future, and is the author of two books on the subject in "Tomorrow's Energy: Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and the Prospects for a Cleaner Planet" and "The Forever Fuel: The Story of Hydrogen". His passion for photography leaves us many beautiful and unusual images, including various exhibitions at the Morton library in Rhinecliff and other venues in New York City and Rhinebeck.

Peter loved his family, sons Peter, Rem, and Ben and daughters-in-law Jill and Carla. He especially loved Liam, grandson extraordinaire. Fifty years of Briggs father-in-law, Philip, and mother-in-law, Elizabeth, as well as brothers-in-law, Philip, Dick, Mal and Rem, and sisters-in-law enriched his life with good and always interesting times. As an only child, he felt accepted and treasured by his new family.

Born December 28, 1935 in Berlin, Germany he was the son of Rudolph and Kaethe (Floeter) Hoffmann. He first came to the United States in 1952 as an American Field Service exchange student at Tucson High School in Arizona.

Peter graduated from the University of South Dakota, as well as from Yale University where he earned a Master's degree in Political Science and from Columbia University where he received a Master's degree in Journalism.

He was a journalist for the Associated Press in Germany, New York and Detroit, at the Washington Post and for Time Magazine. In the late sixties he worked for Ford Motor Company in Michigan and Cologne, Germany. He was a regular contributor to the New Art Examiner.

He spent the next 20 years as a correspondent and bureau chief for McGraw-Hill World News in Bonn, Germany; Milan, Italy and Washington DC.

Cremation and services will be private. Memorial donations may be made in Peter's memory to the Rhinebeck Science Foundation, PO Box 508, Rhinebeck NY 12572.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Dapson-Chestney Funeral Home, 51 W. Market St., Rhinebeck. To sign the online register please visit dapsonchestney.com.