Gary “Spider” V. Hoff

Obituary

Gary Victor Hoff was born on January 4, 1951, in Hutchinson, Minnesota. He was the son of Victor and Colleen (Daehn) Hoff. Gary was made a child of God through holy baptism on April 4, 1951, at Peace Lutheran Church in Hutchinson by Rev. Arthur W. Koehler. He was later confirmed in his Christian faith on May 23, 1965, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Cedar Mills Township, Minnesota by Rev. Werner Wetzstein. Gary grew up on a farm in the Cedar Mills Township area and attended District 1120 and St. John’s Lutheran Parochial school. He graduated from Cosmos High School in 1969. He continued his education at Hutchinson Area Vocational school and completing a two-year course in Tool and Die. Gary graduated in 1971 and enlisted in the United States Air Force.

Gary entered active military service in the United States Air Force on August 23, 1971, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He completed his basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas and graduated at Sheppard’s Air Force Base. He was assigned to Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina for duty with the Tactical Air Command. During his four year service, he learned to maintain and service turboprop aircraft. This command provided combat unit support for United States ground forces. Gary was proud to serve for his country, which included time spent in Thailand, Vietnam, Nicaragua, and Alaska. He received an Honorable Discharge in 1975 and achieved the rank of SGT E-4.

After a brief employment at Hutchinson Industrial Corporation, he moved to Minneapolis to begin his career at Honeywell in Golden Valley as a Tool and Die Machinist.

Gary was united in marriage to Julie Bahr on May 19, 1979, at Peace Lutheran Church in Hutchinson. They made Brooklyn Park their permanent residence where they shared a love for nature, wildlife, flowers, and fishing. Gary and Julie also enjoyed vacations to Grand Marais and cruising around in their Z28 Camaros. Their home was always filled with the warmth and companionship of a friendly feline. Gary and Julie were happily married for 26 years until the passing of Julie on January 20, 2006.

Gary retired from Honeywell in 2010 after 31 years of employment. His early retirement allowed him to spend more time on his baseball card and coin collections. He liked working on crossword puzzles, lottery scratch-offs, and socializing with friends and family. Gary enjoyed going to the casino and was a lifelong sports fan of the Minnesota Twins and loved spending time with his friends and neighbors watching the Minnesota Vikings games. Gary loved the outdoors and was an avid hunter, taking trips to Southeastern Minnesota to hunt turkeys, and to Colorado to hunt elk. His summers were filled with motorcycle trips to Wisconsin, Sturgis, and Alaska, creating memories with his family and friends, and meeting new people along the way. He always said he grew up in the best age of rock and roll. He loved his music and he was rocking at high volume! Gary was made a lifelong member of Hutchinson VFW Post 96 in 2019.

Gary loved life and lived it with a positive attitude. He always saw the good in people and could carry on a conversation with complete strangers as if he’d known them his whole life. He was a very caring and giving person and was always there to lend a helping hand to those in times of need. Gary was a devoted husband, brother, and friend. During his later years of retirement he said if he died tomorrow, he had no regrets. He was proud to have served for his country and the opportunity to see the world and go places that most people only dream about. Gary always had the love and support of his family and was very fortunate to have so many friends and close neighbors who loved him and watched out for his well-being.

Gary passed away on Saturday, February 22, 2020, after a brief and courageous battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his family and his very special friend, Denise, who was the source of Gary’s happiness this past year. Blessed be his memory and may he rest in peace.

In the famous words of Gary V. Hoff, “It is what it is.”

Gary is survived by his:
Sisters, Carol Bahr and her husband, Lyle, of Hutchinson, MN,
Cheryl (Sherry) Fisher and her husband, Larry, of Stewart, MN,
Valerie J. Thomas and her husband, Dale, of Cosmos, MN;
Sister-in-law, Lori Theuringer and her husband, Nathan, of Hutchinson, MN;
Nieces and Nephews, Gabriel Thomas and his wife, Dennise, of Louisville, KY,
Joshua Thomas and his fiancée, Kathy, of Grove City, MN,
Andrew Fisher of Banner Elk, NC,
Matie Theuringer and her fiancée, Mitchell, of Spicer, MN,
Mariah Theuringer of Spicer, MN;
Great Nieces and Nephews, Abbigale Thomas of Grove City, MN,
Wes Perez of Louisville, KY,
Kyler and Tristen Thomas of Louisville, KY;
Gary’s Special Friend, Denise Aune of Coon Rapids, MN;
Gary’s Very Special Cat, Haley, who now also resides in Coon Rapids, MN;
Many other relatives and friends.

Gary is preceded in death by his Parents, Victor and Colleen Hoff; Wife, Julie Hoff; Sister, Diane Hoff; Father and Mother-in-law, Dellas and Sigrid Bahr.