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Irwin Jacob Hoffman
1932 - 2020
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Dr Stephen Jay Smith lit a candle
Sunday, June 9, 2024
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I just found out about Irwin's passing because of our upcoming 60th GW Reunion. I wanted to bring him and Jacquee, again, like I did for our 50th Reunion. Irwin was a great influence in my life as a Student @ GW and as a Tennis Coach @ Green Gables and as a " Mensch" I could look up to in my Life! I do not know IF Jacquee is still alive but, if she is, I send my sincerest prayers for his Memory and great good he did in my life and many many others!
Dr. Stephen Jay Smith
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Beverly Simmons pledged to donate to JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTERS OF DENVER
Thursday, November 5, 2020
to honor the memory of the best teacher and finest man
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John Lewin posted a condolence
Saturday, October 31, 2020
I was one of Irwin's students at GW and learning computer programming at that age was a huge advantage in college and in my career. He was a true visionary. He predicted so many of the uses for computers that would come to pass decades later, including computer-animated movies. And this was back when we were still programming using punch cards! He was one of my most inspirational teachers, no question. I will never forget him. My deepest condolences.
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Rhoda Coben pledged to donate to JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTERS OF DENVER
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
Sending my wishes that Irwin's wonderful memories always burn brightly with all his great family.
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Rhoda Coben lit a candle
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
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I am so sad to hear of Irwin's passing. Jacquie and family are all in my thoughts and prayers. I know you lost a loving, caring soul, as you said a true "Mensh". I have wonderful memories of such fun days when Irwin and I were young. I attended the D.U. tennis teams tournaments with Irwin and hung out with the team. His intelligence was a shining example, one I did not come close to matching. I know your wonderful memories will always be with all of you. Rhoda Cohen Rubenstein Coben
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David Cullen posted a condolence
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
I was not one of Dr. (then Mr.) Hoffman's students at George Washington High School but I recall vividly when I would near his classroom during the passing period and see kids coming out carrying small-ish cardboard boxes. I discovered at some point that the boxes were filled with punch cards, keys to a mysterious world beyond. I also later learned that Dr. Hoffman was connected to the strange cardboard boxes and, for some reason, his students loved the treasures within.
Dr. Hoffman was a legend even to those of us who were never in his classes; his room seemed a portal into a world of excitement and discovery.
A friend recently told me that a true teacher loves the subject and loves the students. Dr. Hoffman did both.
Rest well, sir; this world is a better place for having had you pass through.
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Ricki Rest posted a condolence
Monday, October 19, 2020
Dear Jacquie, You must be so proud of each one of your children as they spoke so beautifully today.
I used to think, what a lucky girl to get Irwin Hoffman at the time not realizing how blessed Irwin was to have you. What a great memory I have sitting on the back porch of your lovely home week after week watching my kids as they learned the game of tennis and the game of life from the best teacher of all times. Some of their most valuable lessons were from their time spent in Irwin's company. We speak of him often with such love and admiration. Just recently Brandon told me he apologized to Irwin for being difficult. No one could have handled him better than Irwin, tough but so lovingly.
Your poem today really hit home because it was a) very well written and b) because it was always so apparent the love you had for one another. How lucky you were to have shared in the joy of each other's company for many years. Is it ever enough?
So nice to see all of your kids. I knew Brad the best. He has grown up to be an adorable man. He was a mere child when I met him. Time has flown by.
Irwin won the prize the day he found you. Thank you for being the very best to him and to us. We love you,
Ricki Gold Perry-Rest
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Simon Kaufman posted a condolence
Monday, October 19, 2020
I grew up taking lessons from Irwin at Green Gables. After our lessons, he'd take me for lunch at the club house and quiz me on math problems. I still remember many of his problem-solving tricks he taught me. Later, I remember going to his home for lessons and swimming in the pool after. When I played high school tennis at GW, I was so excited when we named one of our annual tournaments after Irwin and he came to the first day of play. Even then, it was clear he loved being on the court and around young people. I feel so fortunate to have gotten to learn from him and be around him on the court. My condolences to his family.
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Alan Frank lit a candle
Monday, October 19, 2020
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My sincere condolences to the Hoffmans. We have all lost a unique individual. I was part of his early group of students who read the manuals and began experimenting with computers. Through his leadership, the Denver Public Schools bought a small trailer and with an IBM 1130 computer. The trailer would visit the various high schools. I still fondly remember the weeks we had the trailer at George Washington High School. We had a unique opportunity to feed our programs, (on punch cards) into the machine to understand and explore these things called computers. Between creating Fortran programs we would experiment. We could actually shake the trailer by having the computer’s printer print a single line of identical characters.
The computer skills helped me pay my way through university, programming a PDP 8 for the Physics Department and later learning how to build digital equipment for cosmic ray detectors. My PhD thesis experiment was automated using a PDP 11. My early career at Xerox involve designing usable photocopiers which were actually run by computers. I am now retired, but volunteering to assist lawyers, managing large, diverse, sets of information, relating to war crimes, using computer databases.
He deserved all the recognition he received, and more, and the gratitude from us, whose lives were set in new directions through his encouragement and enthusiasm.
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Chelsea Parfitt uploaded photo(s)
Monday, October 19, 2020
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Today we will honor the life of Dr. Irwin J. Hoffman. He wore his cowboy hat for me at my wedding because he knows how fond I am of my Wild West roots! He was not just a grandfather to me, he was more like a father. I don’t want to say he was the father I never had, because growing up I had an amazing Dad, but I will say he was the father I always needed. He taught me tennis when I was 2, and this allowed me to grow up with a passion and competitive edge. Some of the happiest memories of my life were playing tennis at his house and getting a tennis lesson with the family and then swimming all afternoon. We also grew up playing tennis at Green Gables and Papa would set up round robin matches and also forbid us from playing golf, as he said it would mess up our tennis game. There was not tennis pro like him, he made all his students tennis champions, including myself! He was the kind of guy that would call my school and make sure I was in all of the highest level math classes because he had a PhD in math and felt it was important! In fact, my principal at Northglenn high school actually mentioned him in our high school graduation speech because of how many phone calls he made to ensure my success there. This was a man who was honored by two presidents of the United States of America, flew on air force one, was one of the first people to invent carpool systems and helped with the building of computers. I remember as I grew up in my early 20s I struggled with how to balance a checkbook and so he to set me up with the vice president of Wells Fargo - and I went in there weekly for money management classes... he was the only one who could get almost $1000 worth of overdraft charges taken off! He had this uncanny ability to get people to do what he had asked and he is the reason why all of our family doesn’t take no for an answer. And his final months here in Denver I was with him for a month every day and he dedicated himself to help me learn how to get organized in my life again after my divorce. He taught me everything has a place, he taught me how to put a small purse inside of my larger purse so that I wasn’t always rifling through my bag while driving. He had little solutions for everything that he cared about fixing no matter how small the issue. In his final days he was determined to meet his maker knowing that I was okay.. this meant the world to me because I sort felt alone and abandoned by my husband. I know that when he crossed over and met our creator he was given a very high thrown up there, and I believe he’ll be as powerful in heaven as he was down here on earth. I realize when I first found out he had passed I was angry, my post was angry, and it is very hard for me to not have any more fathers in my life.. but I am grateful for what I did have with him and I will miss him dearly.. there’s just nobody like Irwin Hoffman in this world. He loves my kids as if they were his and my last favorite memories are of him setting up dinners for them making sure they had a unlimited dessert while he practiced math with Olly and gave them tennis lesson in his chat. I look forward to celebrating his life today. My heart is broken, he may be gone from this place but will have one hell of a legacy behind him and I vow Papa to make your grandkids tennis champions and to play the game of life as well as I can, as you taught me... never settling, taking no ones crap, and to be these best darn human being I can be. I love you Papa! 
Chelsea
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Mark posted a condolence
Sunday, October 18, 2020
In Jr HS, I worked at George Washington HS as a part-time janitor. One of the rooms I was tasked with cleaning was the computer lab. Dr. Hoffman saw how interested in the computers I was and told me that, if I wanted, I could start showing up at 630 am when he opened the lab to students before school.
He never judged. If your learning style didn't work one way, he found another way to teach you what he knew.
He was a true Mensch.
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Bill Weimar posted a condolence
Sunday, October 18, 2020
My father was a fellow teacher/coach with Irwin at George Washington. I also believe Dad was Irwin’s tennis coach at East as he began his DPS career in 1948. My Dad also helped open GW in the fall of 1960. This obituary reminded me of what a fabulous faculty and staff was assembled at the school, including administrators Sam Waldman, Phil Serrafini, and Bill Shumacher, and teacher/coaches Irwin, Greg Browning, Tom Marquez, Marcella Waln, Dick Jordan, Lou Parker, Paul Vaughn, Don Carlson, Jim DiTolla and countless others.
In 1972, when I was I a junior at the Colorado School of Mines, I purchased one of the first hand-held calculators, an HP-35. Dad was insistent that I demonstrate it to Irwin. I vividly remember standing with Irwin in the entryway of GW, running through the operations of the device. Even though it was essentially just an electronic slide rule, he was fascinated. I’m sure he had a vast understanding of the future implications on math and science of these early tools.
I graduated from Thomas Jefferson, so I never had the opportunity to take classes from Irvin. I certainly wish I could have. I do remember chatting with him at basketball games at the Auditorium Arena, attending some of his GW tennis matches, and visiting with him about my experiences at Mines. I fondly remember my Dad repeatedly bragging about Irwin Hoffman’s credentials, teaching abilities, coaching talents and overall desire to relate to student athletes. He obviously did all this.
My sincere condolences to your family. What an admirable life he led.
Bill Weimar (Jr)
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Gary Bales posted a condolence
Sunday, October 18, 2020
I am sorry to hear of the passing of Dr. Hoffman. In my 16 years of working at Green Gables Country Club we had many conversations. I remember he would tell me about the "word for the day" he would teach at each tennis lesson. His students were given tennis instruction AND vocabulary prep for the SAT...only BRILLIANT!
So let today's word be "pedagogy"---the method and practice of teaching---something at which he truly excelled. Condolences to the family and PEACE to all. Gary Bales...retired from English teaching and working at Green Gables.
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Bob Davidson posted a condolence
Sunday, October 18, 2020
I am extremely fortunate to have known Irwin Hoffman. He was one of the best, and most memorable, teachers I have ever had. He had a marvelous way of keeping students engaged. I will never forget the way he explained the mathematics of limits by having a boy and girl alternately walk half the distance toward the other until we all concluded that they would never meet but would be close enough for all practical purposes. His computer class was a vehicle for having us learn to teach ourselves and one another. He worked hard to provide opportunities for his students. He gave me the encouragement and confidence to become one of the student teachers who presented topics to the computer class. Even though I did not choose teaching for my profession, it was that first taste of teaching that led me to lead short courses as part of my career, tutor students, and do science encouragement activities for kids. I wish his family comfort knowing that he will live on through the many people whose lives he touched.
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Dean Garyet posted a condolence
Sunday, October 18, 2020
I was a student of Dr. Hoffman’s in the early 70s. I was enthralled by his humor and energy, and inspired by his enthusiasm; so inspired that I went on to a 40-year career at IBM. My brother Terry also was a student if his, and went on to a long career at Motorola and Freescale. I’ve thought of him often over the years and am sad to hear of his death. I hope the family will find comfort in our fond memories of him.
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Bruce Madison posted a condolence
Sunday, October 18, 2020
Irwin was a major figure in my life. He gave me my first job, at age 11, shagging tennis balls at the JCC for $.50 an hour. My summers at Green Gables were memorable for the times he dragged us from the pool or the golf course to play tennis. He was relentless. He coached the tennis team when we won the state championship. He was a great and wonderful man, and a visionary in the world of computer science. I learned a great many life lessons from Irwin, many of which have carried through to this day. I loved the man. Rest in peace, coach.
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Sarah Z posted a condolence
Sunday, October 18, 2020
I’m so grateful to have learned both math tricks and tennis skills from Irwin Hoffman. Being one of his students was an honor. His memory is a blessing.
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Michael Levin posted a condolence
Sunday, October 18, 2020
I took physics from Mr Hoffman the first year GW was open. We learned to look for sine waves in clouds. He convinced Mr Wolf to let me into 12th grade Calculus and he had me assist his 11 grade advanced algebra class. I joined that class the summer of 1962 visiting CDC's computer office to learn to program. I took a few tennis lessons from him at GW as well.
His enthusiasm was great. Thanks to Mr Hoffman, I went on to get a BA and MA in math and a rewarding job in Aerospace.
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Toni Reimers posted a symbolic gesture
Sunday, October 18, 2020
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I remember him well. I was fortunate enough to take his Basic Computer course at GW . I carried large stacks of punch cards everywhere!!!
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Robert Jardine posted a condolence
Saturday, October 17, 2020
I regretted that I never took a mathematics class from "Hoffy", but I was lucky enough to spend 3 semesters in his "computer programming study halls" that later morphed into a class. [Correction to the obituary: He did not teach Fortran, and it wasn't with help from a neighbor. He taught Algol, and it was with the help of two students, who had taken a computer programming class (using Algol) in night school at the University of Denver the previous semester.] Those two students were Tom Davis (class of 1966) and myself, (class of 1967). Tom was in Hoffy's Calculus class, and he discussed our experience with that night-school class with Hoffy, and that led to the creation of the study hall. During the first semester of that "study hall" Tom and I taught programming (in Algol) to Hoffy and to one or two other students. The following year, Tom was away at college, but the study hall continued, with Hoffy and I teaching a growing class of students for those two semesters. In the next few summers after I graduated from GW, I visited Hoffy at his summer job, as the tennis pro at a nearby tennis club. I was not on his tennis teams at GW, as I was busy with other sports and not that good at tennis, but I became a better tennis player during those summers visiting Hoffy. He was always friendly, kind, helpful, curious. I miss him very much.
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Sheldon Berkowitz posted a condolence
Saturday, October 17, 2020
Although I unfortunately was never good enough to make the GW tennis team, I was fortunate to have Irwin as my math and computer teacher for a number of years. I remember learning Basic, Fortran and Cobalt from him and having a good time learing how to do basic programing. But my best memory is that he gave me a job working in the Tennis Pro Shop at Heatherridge where I worked for 3 years and had a great time. He was a great teacher and a great boss.
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Robert Jardine pledged to donate to Irwin and Jacquie Tennis Scholarship Fund
Saturday, October 17, 2020
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Gary Stiefler posted a condolence
Saturday, October 17, 2020
My three years on the tennis team at GW provided so many fond memories as well as playing doubles with him and Bill Oakes and
Tag Grossman, all Denver tennis legends at Heatheridge. I wish I could say I stood out in his computer class, but he had so many
students much smarter than me that he pushed to achieve. He did make me into a pretty good doubles player. Thanks Irwin for all
the great memories!
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Jon Heller lit a candle
Saturday, October 17, 2020
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I took tennis lessons from Irwin starting in 1956 and continued for several years. I was on his Green Gables Tennis team and fondly remember what a terrific teacher and person he was. We continued to be friends when I started at George Washington in 1960. His contributions in tennis and computer science helped so many young adults. What a wonderful human being, that I consider myself lucky I had the privilege to know!
My sincere condolences to the entire family on your loss. Without Covid his funeral ceremony would have required a venue like the Pepsi Center.
Jon Heller
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Bruce Abramson posted a condolence
Saturday, October 17, 2020
As one of Irwin's students on and off the tennis court and then as one of his assistant pros at Green Gables, Bow Mar, and JCC, I will forever be grateful to Irwin for the opportunities that he provided for me and the lifelong lessons that he taught to me and so many of his fortunate students. My sincere condolences to Jacquie and Irwin's entire family. Irwin led a wonderful life and will be remembered by so many for his service to our country, our city, and the many students whose lives were enriched by his brilliance, ingenuity, creativity, imagination, tireless efforts and inspirational enthusiasm.
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Ron Sherman uploaded photo(s)
Friday, October 16, 2020
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I was one of his students during the 1973/74 Computer Carpool project. I remember that Irwin got so tied up in giving interviews to numerous News media and Corporations, that his Father was pulled out of retirement (from East High School) to help run his classes. "Doc Hoffy", was my favorite teacher throughout High School, and thanks to his interest and motivation, my life's career has been working on computers (i.e., introducing the IBM PC as a valuable business tool to Mountain Bell). He helped shape the lives of many of his students!
Last year, Irwin was honored with a VIP sports award at the JCC. Working as a volunteer usher at the JCC, which was the highlight of all the events that I volunteered for. He hadn't seen me in about 42 years, but remembered me like it was yesterday! A number of his old students attended this event.
He will be missed!
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Chuck Michaels posted a condolence
Friday, October 16, 2020
I was a student of Irwin Hoffman at George Washington High School in 1971 and 1972. I was one of those who learned computer studies. I learned Fortran and on my own learned Algol as a result. I still have punch cards and a printout of a program I wrote as a result of my studies with Irwin Hoffman. He was a fine teacher and a good man. I am sure you will miss him greatly. I miss him too.
Chuck Michaels
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John Bershof posted a condolence
Friday, October 16, 2020
I am in possession of many Irwin Hoffman stories, but one of his favorite of me was the day he caught me using the tennis ball machine, Court #2 Green Gables. But it wasn't the unauthorized use that so irked him as it was I had turned the ball machine 180 degrees, cocked the arm, and I was lobbing his special-dye (so they couldn't be stolen) Tretorn tennis balls into the lake. Yes I was a bad boy. I was 12. He then instructed me to retrieve every last tennis ball from the lake. Some tennis balls had floated to shore but most had not, hopelessly in the middle of the lake. He expected me to swim out into that lake which I was not real keen on. Fortunately it was either Gene Reed, Eddie Reed's dad, or maybe it was Gene Weisberg, I can't recall, but it was one of the Genes, who heard of my plight, fired up their boat down at the dock, ferried me to the swarm of tennis balls, and helped me retrieve them. Irwin was irritated I had circumvented the punishment with an easy boat ride, but he was glad to get his tennis balls back. And Irwin was not about to have words with Gene, which ever Gene it was.
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Kathy Newman posted a condolence
Friday, October 16, 2020
Irwin was my tutor in the early 1960s. He was a fabulous teacher and raised my Math SAT score higher than anyone could have imagined.
Kathy Greig Newman
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Yvette TRACHTENBERG pledged to donate to Irwin and Jacquie Tennis Scholarship Fund
Friday, October 16, 2020
So sad to hear about Irwin’s passing. Thoughts and prayers for his family. He will be missed!
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The family of Irwin Jacob Hoffman uploaded a photo
Friday, October 16, 2020
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Kevin posted a condolence
Friday, October 16, 2020
One of my favorite stories was in 1966 he was known as the advanced math teacher at GW and his tests were hard. After one test a few of the students used paper clips to a picture of him hanging in effigy. The school reacted by saying it might be a sign that the students did not like him. In response, the next day, hundreds of students all wore signs on their closing saying “Love Hoffie”. He was truly great with students.
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Ceci Miller Lowinger posted a condolence
Friday, October 16, 2020
Although the tennis gene skipped me, my son Joel started his tennis career with Irwin and became a state champ, and we still talk about the many lessons learned on the court that transitioned to life off of the court. Irwin touched the lives of many generations, and will be missed.
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Josh Lozow posted a condolence
Friday, October 16, 2020
Irwin was a force of nature and the best tennis teacher I ever had. He had a motor that never stopped! Have been away from the game for 15 years and started back up recently. Took me right back to GGCC and him barking at me the first time I stept foot on the court & each match since. His legacy will last through each student he worked with at math & tennis. A Denver legend & special human being. RIP Irwin
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Devra Ochs posted a condolence
Friday, October 16, 2020
Irwin was a great teacher and friend. Even when he was yelling at me that I was a "traitor" for choosing golf over tennis. What Irwin didn't realize was that his tennis instruction transcended the tennis court. I was able to learn how to play golf because he taught me how to learn the fundamentals of a sport. I learned how to learn from Irwin. Thank you my friend. RIP.
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Mark posted a condolence
Friday, October 16, 2020
Dr. Hoffman was the single most influential teacher and mentor I ever had.
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Sanford Mark posted a condolence
Friday, October 16, 2020
I remember Doc Hoffman as a scholar and mentor to all of his fellow students back at GW in the late 70's. His computer lab programming classes were truly an asset to my future career. May Hashem grant much comfort to his family during this time of sorrow.. He will be missed by many. Sanford Mark
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Randy Levine posted a condolence
Friday, October 16, 2020
The greatest teacher I ever had. More than mathematics, he taught me how to think. What an amazing spirit and gift to us all.
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Greg Dinner pledged to donate to Irwin and Jacquie Tennis Scholarship Fund
Friday, October 16, 2020
Sincere condolences. So sorry to lose him. A lovely man. Greg and Annie Dinner, Ireland (via Denver)
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Greg Dinner posted a condolence
Friday, October 16, 2020
Sincere condolences to a fine tennis coach and mathematics mentor for computer work, before desktops and laptops were dreamt of...So long ago but I remember Irwin and his kindness with fondness from a childhood almost sixty years ago playing tennis at Green Gables, and work he led me to do as student Thomas Jefferson. Greg Dinner
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Kevin Schrenk posted a condolence
Friday, October 16, 2020
Irwin was great teacher and my friend. I worked with him and his GW tennis teams and strung tennis rackets for him in his basement. I even baby sited his Sherri and Doug from time to time. He was without a doubt the finest teacher there was and became close friends with everyone he came in contact with. He will be remembered.
Kevin
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The family of Irwin Jacob Hoffman uploaded a photo
Thursday, October 15, 2020
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Thursday, October 15, 2020
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Thursday, October 15, 2020
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Monday
19
October
Private Funeral Service
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Monday, October 19, 2020
Feldman Mortuary Chapel
1673 York Street
Denver, Colorado, United States
Due to COVID-19, this is a private gathering
Interment Information
Mount Nebo Memorial Park
11701 E. 13th Avenue
Aurora, Colorado, United States
Public LiveStream on Feldman Mortuary YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7CQNliXtxRvoOGVZvmH-kg
Shiva
2164 S. Oakland St.
Aurora, Colo 80014
Zoom Info
Id# 9926144262
Password: Hoffman
Yairhoffman2@gmail.com
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