Sister Patricia (Raymond Francis) Hoffman (1931 – 2013)

Sr. Patricia (Raymond Francis) Hoffman, a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur for 62 years, died in Oakland on September 30, 2013.

SR-Hoffman_Pat-HabitTeacher_WEB
Sr. Patricia at Notre Dame Elementary School, Belmont.

Known for her gentle and fun-loving spirit, Sr. Patricia taught for nearly 40 years in Notre Dame elementary schools, including those in Carmel, Belmont, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Along the way she acquired a monkey puppet called Charlotte, who made learning fun and relevant for her students. After retiring from full-time ministry, she tutored at John Gill School, Redwood City, bringing joy to students struggling with a new language or with learning difficulties.  Sr. Patricia was active in the social justice work of the Sisters of Notre Dame.

As Bodelia the clown, Sr. Patricia joined the Carrousel of Clowns, a group of adults in Los Angeles, who brought “love to life” in places like retirement homes and Special Olympics.  She found that humor was a wonderful way to celebrate the joys of life and share faith with others. In the 1980s, an ecumenical church group invited her to participate as a clown in a delegation to Las Vueltas, San Francisco’s sister city in El Salvador. The delegation was there when the long-awaited Peace Accord was signed after 11 years of war.

Born to Eugene “Gene” and Gertrude Hoffman on November 25, 1931, Pat was loving sister of Sr. Margaret Hoffman, SND, of Belmont; Dr. Jim Hoffman (Jan) of Blue Bell, PA; Raymond Hoffman of Lansdale, PA; and beloved as “Aunt Pat” to Jim’s children, Karl, Jeremy, Kevin and Jill Hoffman.  She will be missed by many friends, other family, former students and her Sisters of Notre Dame.

A Mass celebrating Sr. Patricia’s life was held on Saturday, October 5, 2013 at noon at Notre Dame Province Center, 1520 Ralston Avenue, Belmont.  Private interment.