Daily Sitka Sentinel

Doyle Vernon Hoffman

 passed away October  11, 2014, in Vancouver, Washington. He was 87.
Doyle was  born Feb. 1, 1926, in Boise, Idaho, to Doyle and Wilma (Barker) Hoffman. When he was a young boy, the family moved to Shelton, Washington, when he later met his future bride, Betty Johnson.
Doyle joined the Navy in 1943, and served aboard the USS St. Lo, surviving its sinking by a kamakazi  pilot during the Battle of Leyte Gulf (Philippines) on Oct. 25, 1944. He was in the water for approximately  four hours before being rescued by another ship.  He was very active in the USS St. Lo Association and their reunions, which were once a year on the sinking anniversary. He and Betty traveled to the reunions, held all over the United States, and were joined by their sons and their wives.
Receiving 30-day survivor leave after the ship went down, Doyle returned to Shelton, where he married Betty on Jan. 6, 1945. After his service ended, he returned to Washington.
Doyle and Betty had two sons, Richard (Rick) and Larry, both born in Longview, Wash.  In 1956, the family moved to Ketchikan, where they remained until the boys graduated from high school. Doyle and Betty  then moved to Sitka.
Doyle bought a yacht, which he renamed The Grumpy, in San Diego and they lived aboard for a number of years.  With his son Larry and good friend Chuck Stauffer, he sailed Grumpy from San Diego to Sitka.  When asked how he was going to get the boat back home, he said “Leave the harbor, take a right, and go north”!
After retiring, Doyle became an active member of the Mt. Verstovia Masonic Lodge.  He became a Master Mason and Shriner, and was also a member of the Sitka Elks Lodge.

In 2012, Doyle and Betty  moved south to live with son Larry and his wife Judy.  In 2013 they moved to Van Mall Retirement Center where Betty still resides. 
Doyle was preceded in death by his parents, brother Ed Hoffman, and  brothers-in-law Bill Gorman, Don Simon, and Ron Gullickson; and daughter-in-law Nancy Hoffman.
He is survived by his sons Larry (Judy) and Rick;  sisters Shirley Simon, Donna Gorman, and Wilma Gullickson; brothers John (Ola) and Myron  (Louise); grandchildren Dena (Dave) Whipple, Mindy Hoffman, Dan (Libby) Hoffman, Gary (Chandra) and Renate Aragon; great-grandchildren Emily Whipple, Zane Hoffman, Kaylee Hoffman, Samantha Hoffman, Shane Aragon, and Tori Tucker; and  special, “more like family” friends Sherri and Ryan Fahey, along with many other close friends.
At his request, no services will be held. A gathering of friends and family will celebrate Doyle’s life on Saturday, Oct. 25, at the home of Larry and Judy Hoffman.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Doyle’s name to the Shriners Children Hospital.