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Deborah Hoffmann Obituary

Deborah Hoffmann

July 26, 1947 - July 9, 2020

SOUTH BEND, IN - Deborah Elaine Bacakos Hoffmann, 72, beloved wife, mom, and “Nana,” passed away peacefully on July 9, 2020 surrounded by her family following a brave 15-month journey with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Deb was born July 26, 1947 in Santa Monica, CA to John and George Anna (Brenner) Bacakos. During her early years in California and later in Falls City, NE, she and her sister Mary Ann grew up with close ties to their many Brenner cousins. Deb graduated from Falls City High School in 1965, and she similarly stayed in touch with those friends throughout her life. Deb's childhood included warm recollections of her paternal grandfather's candy store, which he operated after immigrating to Falls City from Greece.

She left Falls City to attend St. Mary's Hospital School of Nursing in Kansas City, MO, graduating as a registered nurse in 1968. She was always proud of the rigor of her training, which fostered an affinity for black coffee. She was deeply committed to her vocation, and many patients and colleagues benefited from her dedication, knowledge, and compassion. Over the years, she worked as a surgical nurse at hospitals in Kansas City, Madison, WI, and New London, WI. While her children were growing up, she worked part-time at the Manawa Community Nursing Center, and then spent 16 years as a triage nurse (and resident vaccination expert) at Waupaca Family Medicine (now ThedaCare Physicians) in Waupaca, WI.

Deb met her husband of 46 years, John Hoffmann, in Kansas City. John was stationed there with the Marine Corps and living in the same apartment complex. Deb drove him to his law classes, and they fell in love, leading her to relocate to Madison in 1971. They were married in Middleton, WI on May 25, 1974, and moved to John's hometown of Manawa in 1977.

While John continued his legal career, Deb dedicated herself to raising their children, Erin and Andy, instilling in them a love of learning while setting high expectations for their character. She was actively involved as a school parent and frequently volunteered in the local community. She served on the Sturm Memorial Library Board of Trustees for many years, including as president when the new library building opened in 1994. She extended her library leadership across several counties as a board member and president of the Outagamie Waupaca Library System. She, Erin, and Andy were music ministers at Sacred Heart Parish in Manawa, and singing together at Midnight Mass was one of her favorite annual traditions. She also sang alto in the Waupaca Community Choir, and she and John were later longtime season ticket holders for the performing arts centers in both Appleton, WI and Green Bay, WI.

Deb moved to South Bend, IN in 2010, promptly retiring from nursing to be present for the birth of her first grandchild. She delighted in caring for her grandsons, spending countless nights rocking them to sleep. She helped Andy and son-in-law Dave regularly as well, putting her legendary leaf blowing skills to work on their yard and caring for their dogs. She was enormously proud of Andy's second career in nursing as well as Dr. Dave, and she thought the trained lawyers of the family had turned out pretty well, too. Devoted and caring, Deb always placed the well-being of her family above herself and gloried in each moment she spent with her family, and especially her grandsons. She also adored her dog Sophie who provided her with great comfort over the past 12 years through several health challenges.

Her family will remember her love for them most of all, but they will also treasure many special traits and moments. Fond memories include summer trips to Falls City with Erin and Andy, her beautiful cross-stitch portraits, the annual hunt for the “perfect” Christmas tree, the lengthy selection of eyeglass frames with every new prescription, multiple Hallmark cards for each birthday or anniversary, an endless supply of woven baskets, the laughter her family had at her expense (her sweet nature sometimes inspired the rest of her clan's Irish humor), her delight in nurturing her yard of flowers and bird feeders, her exuberant cheers at her grandsons' baseball and basketball games, a Disney family cruise in January 2018, and a trip to Turks & Caicos in October 2019.

Deb is survived by her husband, John, who cared untiringly for her this past year; her children, Erin Hoffmann Harding (Ryan Harding) and Andrew Hoffmann (David Wyncott); her grandchildren, Emmett Riley, Elliott Reed, and Everett Reese Harding; her brother-in-law, Rev. Charles Hoffmann, her brother-in-law, Don Winter, and many cherished nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents; her in-laws, Charles and Virginia Hoffmann; her sister, Mary Ann Jones and brother-in-law, William Jones; her brother- and sister-in-law, Thomas and Mary Hoffmann; her sister-in-law, Mary Jo Winter; her nephew, David Jones; and several cousins.

A private Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, July 13, 2020 in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame. The Mass will be recorded and available for viewing after 12:30pm Monday via a link located in her obituary on the Palmer Funeral Homes website. Inurnment will follow at a later date at Cedar Grove Cemetery at the University of Notre Dame. Palmer Funeral Home-Hickey Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements.

Deb's family is enormously grateful for the many family, friends, colleagues, and caregivers who supported her treatment for AML with cards, words of encouragement, prayers, and meals. The family would be grateful to receive any memories of her life by mail (P.O. Box 958, South Bend, IN 46624) that will later be shared with her young grandsons.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in honor of Deb may be made to Sturm Memorial Library, P.O. Box 20, Manawa, WI 54949, or Center for Hospice Care, 501 Comfort Place, Mishawaka, IN 46545.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by South Bend Tribune on Jul. 12, 2020.

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Group of 10 Memorial Trees

Regina Howells

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KEN AND AHNNA GROHOLSKI

July 11, 2020

GOD BLESS YOU JOHN AND YOUR FAMILY. DEB WAS A GOOD FRIEND. WE MISSED HER AT SACRED HEART.

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