Thursday, June 18, 2009
D.C. Educator, Principal of Capitol Page School
John C. "Jack" Hoffman, 86, a retired principal of the Capitol Page School who was also
a baseball umpire and
youth coach, died June 3 at Charlotte Hall (Md.) Veterans Home of complications of
Alzheimer's disease.
Mr. Hoffman, a Marlow Heights resident, had been principal of an alternative
junior-senior high school for boys in the District and at the city's Hine Middle School
before becoming principal of the Capitol Page School in 1968. Young men, and later
women, too, went to school from 6 to 10 in the morning before beginning their daily duties
as pages in the House and Senate.
After his retirement in 1984, the school split in two -- one school for House pages and one for Senate pages.
During the summer, he worked for the D.C. Department of Recreation. As a coach of youth baseball, football
and basketball, his teams traveled to 12 states and captured 33 titles. In 1973, his Prince George's County baseball
team for 15-year-olds won the World Series of Babe Ruth Baseball at Manchester, N.H.
He umpired Atlantic Coast Conference and Mason-Dixon Conference college baseball, as well as high school and
semiprofessional baseball. He also umpired the annual game between Democratic and Republican lawmakers. He
was a five-time president of the Metropolitan Baseball Umpires Association and editor of the group's monthly
newsletter, the Indicator.
John Charles Hoffman was born in the District. He attended Gonzaga College High School before graduating from
Eastern High School in 1941.
During World War II, he served in a field artillery battalion in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. He received
the Purple Heart for wounds received near Vallecupa, Italy, in 1944, and spent a year at Walter Reed Army Medical
Center recovering from his wounds and malaria.
He received a bachelor's degree from George Washington University in 1948 and a master's degree in guidance and
personnel from the University of Maryland in 1951. He went to work for the District public schools and was a
vocational education teacher at Kramer Middle School and at Anacostia High School's night school for 10 years
before being named vice principal at Sousa Middle School.
He was honored by the D.C. Bar Association for his booklet and instructional unit, "But Your Honor I Didn't Know,"
which explained the law as it relates to juveniles. He also lectured extensively on juvenile delinquency.
Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Mary Pauline Rollman Hoffman of Marlow Heights; four children, Colleen
Woodard of Fairfax Station, Darlene Charles of Palmyra, Va., Kathleen Nelson of Hollis, N.H., and John W. Hoffman
of Marlow Heights; a brother; six grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
-- Joe Holley
D.C. Educator, Principal of Capitol Page School
John C. "Jack" Hoffman, 86, a retired principal of the Capitol Page School who was also
a baseball umpire and
youth coach, died June 3 at Charlotte Hall (Md.) Veterans Home of complications of
Alzheimer's disease.
Mr. Hoffman, a Marlow Heights resident, had been principal of an alternative
junior-senior high school for boys in the District and at the city's Hine Middle School
before becoming principal of the Capitol Page School in 1968. Young men, and later
women, too, went to school from 6 to 10 in the morning before beginning their daily duties
as pages in the House and Senate.
After his retirement in 1984, the school split in two -- one school for House pages and one for Senate pages.
During the summer, he worked for the D.C. Department of Recreation. As a coach of youth baseball, football
and basketball, his teams traveled to 12 states and captured 33 titles. In 1973, his Prince George's County baseball
team for 15-year-olds won the World Series of Babe Ruth Baseball at Manchester, N.H.
He umpired Atlantic Coast Conference and Mason-Dixon Conference college baseball, as well as high school and
semiprofessional baseball. He also umpired the annual game between Democratic and Republican lawmakers. He
was a five-time president of the Metropolitan Baseball Umpires Association and editor of the group's monthly
newsletter, the Indicator.
John Charles Hoffman was born in the District. He attended Gonzaga College High School before graduating from
Eastern High School in 1941.
During World War II, he served in a field artillery battalion in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. He received
the Purple Heart for wounds received near Vallecupa, Italy, in 1944, and spent a year at Walter Reed Army Medical
Center recovering from his wounds and malaria.
He received a bachelor's degree from George Washington University in 1948 and a master's degree in guidance and
personnel from the University of Maryland in 1951. He went to work for the District public schools and was a
vocational education teacher at Kramer Middle School and at Anacostia High School's night school for 10 years
before being named vice principal at Sousa Middle School.
He was honored by the D.C. Bar Association for his booklet and instructional unit, "But Your Honor I Didn't Know,"
which explained the law as it relates to juveniles. He also lectured extensively on juvenile delinquency.
Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Mary Pauline Rollman Hoffman of Marlow Heights; four children, Colleen
Woodard of Fairfax Station, Darlene Charles of Palmyra, Va., Kathleen Nelson of Hollis, N.H., and John W. Hoffman
of Marlow Heights; a brother; six grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
-- Joe Holley
| John C. Hoffman |
John C. "Jack" Hoffman was
also a baseball umpire and
youth baseball, football and
basketball coach. (Family
Photo)
also a baseball umpire and
youth baseball, football and
basketball coach. (Family
Photo)
HOFFMAN JOHN CHARLES HOFFMAN "Jack" On Wednesday, June 3, 2009. Beloved husband of Mary P.
Hoffman; father of Colleen Woodard, Darlene (Woody Landers) Charles, Kathleen (Gary) Nelson and John
W. Hoffman; brother of William "Bill" Hoffman; grandfather of Kristin Walsh, Courtney Spears, Jessica
Coffey, Garrett Nelson, Dani Proctor and Jennifer Small. He is also survived by 10 great-grandchildren,
many other relatives and friends. Relatives and friends are invited to Mr. Hoffman''s Life Celebration at
Holy Family Catholic Church, 2200 Callaway St., Hillcrest Heights, MD on Saturday, June 6 from 9:30 a.m.
until Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. Interment St. Mary of Sorrow Historic Church Cemetery, Fairfax
Station, VA at approximately 12:30 p.m. Contributions may be made in his memory to the Prince George''s
County Boys & Girls Club, 7833 Walker Dr., Greenbelt, MD 20770. Please sign the guestbook at:
www.KalasFuneralHomes.com
Eastern 1941
Hoffman; father of Colleen Woodard, Darlene (Woody Landers) Charles, Kathleen (Gary) Nelson and John
W. Hoffman; brother of William "Bill" Hoffman; grandfather of Kristin Walsh, Courtney Spears, Jessica
Coffey, Garrett Nelson, Dani Proctor and Jennifer Small. He is also survived by 10 great-grandchildren,
many other relatives and friends. Relatives and friends are invited to Mr. Hoffman''s Life Celebration at
Holy Family Catholic Church, 2200 Callaway St., Hillcrest Heights, MD on Saturday, June 6 from 9:30 a.m.
until Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. Interment St. Mary of Sorrow Historic Church Cemetery, Fairfax
Station, VA at approximately 12:30 p.m. Contributions may be made in his memory to the Prince George''s
County Boys & Girls Club, 7833 Walker Dr., Greenbelt, MD 20770. Please sign the guestbook at:
www.KalasFuneralHomes.com
Eastern 1941