Elbert Leslie "Pete" Hoffman III

1947 - 2024

Elbert Leslie "Pete" Hoffman III, of Martinsburg, WV and Arlington, VA died Wednesday night, August 28, 2024, following a sudden illness due to pancreatic cancer.

Born in Charleston, WV in 1947, Pete was the son of Mary Jane Lively Hoffman and Elbert Leslie Hoffman Jr. of Charleston. He was raised in Charleston and graduated from Charleston High School in 1965.

Pete attended West Virginia University, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and joined the Army Reserves, graduating in 1969. As an undergraduate he married Susan Sandy Harcum, formerly of Charleston, WV. He attended West Virginia University Law School, receiving his law degree in 1972.

Following graduation from law school Pete returned to Charleston, WV, attended basic training in Ft. Benning, GA and was honorably discharged as a 2nd lt. During this time, Pete worked for West Virginia Attorney General Chauncey Browning, before becoming an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia. In 1983, Pete was selected to teach at the Advocacy Institute of the United States Department of Justice, in Washington, DC. He worked as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Fraud Section at the Justice Department prior to entering private practice. Pete worked for Petit and Martin, Piper Rudnick LLP, and ended his legal career with the Charleston, West Virginia based firm Jackson Kelly PLLC.

Pete gave his time, energy, and efforts to many individuals and organizations. He served on the Board of the Contemporary American Theatre Festival, was a frequent University lecturer on white collar crime, and he cooked for the Washington, DC care provider So Others Might Eat (S.O.M.E.). He donated far too much money to far too many causes, including Democratic Party candidates for any office across the country in hopes that a Democratic dog catcher in Des Moines would help the cause.

Pete's life was much more than work. A voracious reader, secret ruminator, lover of the arts, political critic, world traveler, host and cook, football fan and humorist, teller of fantastic (sometimes even true) tales, steeplechase attendee and Santa Claus to disadvantaged families, he was a lover of life. His appetites were large, but only truly satisfied when they were shared with others. A man who after serving a luxurious brunch to his guests only had one question for the satiated, "What does everyone want for dinner?" He was the consummate host, attentive to not only what was on the table, but the ambiance and comfort of the setting. Through the years, his Thanksgiving table, while maintaining a set of constant attendees was often filled with new faces of all sorts. Friends and family, over gin, turkey and pie would mix, mostly seamlessly with new colleagues, the unhoused, recent emigrees, the lonely and occasionally the artificially energetic. Pete simply did not want others to be left unknown or to feel unwelcome.

He was at home at a black-tie dinner party for some organization or another in DC, a happy hour with friends in Provincetown, MA or while shopping at a family farmers market in Martinsburg, WV. His life was not all uproarious gatherings, as he did value solitude, whether on his back porch in West Virginia, alongside a pond in Rehoboth, DE and during early mornings in rural France. From afar when Pete was alone, one could see him at his most peaceful, hopefully reflecting contentedly on life's prior days and nights. He had the odd knack of knowing just about every college fight song and national anthem and with a wonderful voice, would sing them loudly. One also recalls when a topic was broached with Pete that he deemed off limits the refrain, "I shall not be moved" would appear from the ether, quickly, effectively ending the discussion. Pete was complex, a sum of his life's experiences and the era in which he lived. Ultimately, through his tireless work ethic, engagement with friends, family, great amounts of laughter, combined with an unceasing curiosity, Pete was rather simple in his essential desire, to share his love with others and to be loved in return. Nothing more.

Pete is preceded in death by his daughter, Melissa Hoffman, brother Charles Hoffman and partner Michael Jarboe.

He is survived by his partner, Steven O'Toole, of Arlington, VA, his son Marc Hoffman and daughter in-law Laurie Watkins of Fredericksburg, VA, his brother, Scott Hoffman, and sister in-law Sara Hoffman, of Nashville, TN.

Also surviving are step-granddaughters Maggie Johnson, of Fredericksburg, VA, and Eva Morrison, of Minneapolis, MN whose four sons brought Pete much joy with their latest antics. Numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and dear friends also survive.

Funeral services will occur at Falls Church Episcopal Church in Falls Church, VA on Saturday, September 28 at 11 a.m. Following the funeral a reception will be held at the Church for family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC), the Contemporary American Theatre Festival (CATF), or the charity of your choice