Almon Louis Hoffman was born in Watervliet, Michigan, on Aug. 1, 1932, to Joseph and Edna Hoffman and died in Springfield, MI, on June 14, 2024, just weeks prior to his 92nd birthday. Raised in Watervliet, in the family home since the late 1880s, along with his siblings, Sonny (Ellsworth), Doug (Douglas), Korky (Joseph), and his sister Toots (Donna). His younger years were filled with hunting and fishing near home with his brothers.
Al attended Watervliet High School and graduated with the class of 1950, where his favorite field of study was design and drafting. True to his graduating classmates, he attended many reunions as possible throughout his life, staying connected with classmates and friends for decades. Post graduation, he began working for Whirlpool Corporation in Benton Harbor, initially in the mailroom and in the payroll department.
In February of 1952 he followed his two brothers’ path and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He received his basic training in Wichita Falls, Texas at the Sheppard Air Force Base. He served for four years during the Korean War, at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas. It was during his enlistment where he was trained in aeronautical engine mechanics and welding. He earned the National Defense Service Medal for good conduct under the 3520th Field Maintenance Squadron. After his honorable discharge from the Air Force, he returned to his hometown of Watervliet to settle with his wife, Louise (Jay) Hoffman.
Once discharged from the Air Force, he returned to his previous employer, Whirlpool Corporation. He was promoted to the Engineering Department and reinitiated what would become a lengthy career with Whirlpool.
Constantly creative and full of design ideas, he drafted floor plans for several homes in the Watervliet and Coloma area. Al often sold his designs and blueprints to residents to augment his income and fulfill his interest in drafting and architecture. He designed his brothers’ and sisters’ homes and assisted his siblings in the subsequent construction. He designed and constructed his own family home on Sunset Drive, in Coloma and together with Louise, raised six children.
In fall of 1968, he accepted a promotion as the West Coast Regional Manager of Training at Whirlpool’s appliance division and relocated with his family to Southern California. Annually, Whirlpool held training and team building in Hawaii, which quickly became a beloved destination and vacation getaway for him and his wife, Louise. In 1988, he retired at 55 years of age, after a 35-year career with Whirlpool Corporation.
Al always had a deep connection to land and beautiful properties. He was constantly exploring and searching for investment opportunities. He nick-named himself the “mountain” man and took his family to most every National Park in the Western United States to foster the same sense of adventure in his kids. He owned property in several states and left his signature mark on these ideal settings; a pole barn and home on Sherwood Lake in Michigan, a magnificent modern on the coast in Northern California, plans for a hangar on an air strip in Arizona, and an A-frame cabin in the Utah mountains.
Although he favored the properties in California, and Utah, he always returned home to Watervliet. As a young boy, he would cross M-140, go into the woods to a certain apple orchard along Lake Sherwood to hunt and fish. He would stand on the bluff above the lake and promise himself that one day he would build a house and live his life there. His plan came to fruition in 1978 when he purchased 35 acres along Sherwood Lake. This property became the hub for his Michigan family members, as he would host annual family reunions and gatherings along the private lake among the apple trees every summer.
His interests and hobbies did not stop with real estate and architecture. He built airplanes, dune buggies, and off-road rails to explore the mountains and the deserts of the west. He also designed and built a 9-hole golf course complete with ponds and lookouts in the Missouri Ozarks. One summer he tunneled a motorcycle trail out of the woods at Sherwood Lake to the delight of all the kids at the reunion, he gave them motorcycle rides through the magical grove! His legacy will surely reflect his ability to find and design properties with families in mind.
He was predeceased by his parents, siblings and his first wife of 43 years. He is survived by his second wife of 16 years, six children, 12 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Dad and (Papa to your grandkids), you will never be forgotten, we hope you found scubbahubba.
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