Obituary for Roberta Hoffard
Roberta Jean Hoffard
February 20, 1944 – September 29, 2021
Jean Hoffard was born in Portland, Oregon on February 20, 1944 and passed away on September 29, 2021 at the age of 77. She was the daughter of Leo P. Hoffard and Anna R. Darling Hoffard. She attended St. Peters Elementary School and was a proud graduate of St. Mary’s Academy, class of 1962 where she excelled in volleyball and basketball. During the 1960’s and early 1970’s, she was a member of a Portland-based volleyball club that competed in two national tournaments, one in Hawaii and one in Salt Lake City. After high school, she began working as a newspaper carrier in the Lake Oswego and West Linn areas. After many years, an opportunity presented itself to her to have her own newspaper dealership. She then became the first recognized woman to have her own dealership for the Oregonian Publishing Company. It was during this time that she, working with computer programmers, developed the first computer billing system for her newspaper business. This she ran successfully for many years until there was a change in the company and she decided to pursue other interests. She was raised in a family of home builders and remodelers, so she became a Real Estate Broker. Her clients’ best interests were her number one priority and she
had many repeat clients over the years, some becoming good friends and they shared many good times together. It was in 2002 at age 58, that she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and was given 30 days to live. Anyone knowing her strong will knew that she would do whatever it would take to overcome this so she underwent chemotherapy and a new antibody treatment and went into remission for seven years. She then underwent a stem cell transplant of her own stem cells and went another seven years with occasional flareups, treated with radiation. The last six months, she developed other serious medical issues and her body could no longer overcome them, so she passed to a better place. She made the most of her love of the outdoors during these years. She skied, took backpacking trips into the mountain, fished, boated and did anything she could outdoors. She purchased a home at the Oregon coast and never tired of reclining in her chair, watching the water, with the sun on her in her ‘healing room’ accompanied by her friends and family.
Her greatest sadness was the loss of her parents, her brother, Leon Hoffard and sister, Joan Hoffard, her nieces, Julie Hoffard and Francesca Copp, her nephews, Leon Hoffard Jr. and John Hoffard and a great niece, Corrine Hoffard, all who died too soon. Memories of them always remained with her. There is a verse from 2 Tim 4:7 that said “I have fought the good fight’ I have finished the race. I have kept the faith’. What better way to sum up her life than to say she cherished every moment with her family and friends. A great legacy to leave to those who knew her.
She is survived by her nephew, Charles Hoffard and niece, Kathleen Hoffard Kennedy, several nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews and her caregiver, Betty Ruconich.
Services to be held at St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in Oregon City on Friday, October 15, 2021. Recitation of the rosary will be at 10:30am, mass at 11:00am with internment and Gethsemani Catholic Cemetery, 11666 SE Stevens Rd, Happy Valley, Oregon around 1:00pm. Masks required. Crown Memorial Centers are in charge of arrangements.
