Russell Warren Hoff

May 21, 1921 – Oct. 22, 2014

Russell Warren Hoff, 93, son of Conrad C. and Pauline Beisel Hoff, died Oct. 22, 2014, of natural causes at the Wyoming Retirement Center in Basin.

[caption id="attachment_9436" align="alignright" width="245"] Russell Warren Hoff[/caption]

Russell was born May 21, 1921, in Scottsbluff, Neb. During his early years he was interested in sports, particularly football, track and swimming. He also enjoyed instrumental music, playing a clarinet in his own little German band, and art through comic strips and humorous writings in his high school and local newspapers.

On May 29, 1941, he married Hortense May Reichenberg. He joined the U.S. Coast Guard, serving his country in Maine and the South Pacific. Upon his honorable discharge at the end of World War II, he came home to his wife and year-old daughter in Gering, Neb.

His daughter is Irbi C. Nelson (Dave) of Shell, Wyo., and he also had three sons: Russell Craig Hoff (Mary) of Casper, Eugene Carlton Hoff (Patti) of Salem, Ore., and Brent Charles Hoff (Pattie) of Greybull.

Throughout his life he worked for various companies for whom he was an accountant. In the early 1950s he moved his family from Gering to Worland, where he worked for Varney (Worland) Motors for many years. He then moved to Sunnyside, Wash., to be a hospital administrator. This professional capacity took him to Hot Springs, S.D., Lexington, Neb., Hot Springs, Mont., and Seymore, Ind. Other moves took the family to Casper and back to Worland.

He treasured his lifetime memberships in the Elks, Masons and Shriners organizations. He was privileged to be able to go on one of the Wyoming Honor Flights to Washington, D.C., to visit the World War II Memorial.

Russell and his wife loved to travel. Upon retirement they traveled around the United States pulling a travel trailer for a year and were camp hosts at various Forest Service campgrounds before settling in Florence on the coast of Oregon for 20-plus years. They then returned to northern Wyoming, which put them closer to family.

Russell was preceded in death by his loving wife of 67 years and his parents, brothers Larry and Roger Hoff and sister Ruth Hoff Philson.

Surviving him are one sister, Betty Jean Reifler (William) of Lincoln, Neb., one brother, Stanley Wayne Hoff (Jeannie) of Kearney, Neb., sister-in-law Judy Hoff of Loveland, Colo., and various nieces and nephews. Also surviving are his children, 11 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter whom he met just five days before his death.

No funeral or memorial by the family is being planned at this time. Any donations in his memory may be given to the South Big Horn Senior Center or the North Big Horn Senior Center.