Nelson Kent Hoffman (15 Sept. 1949 - 3 April, 2024), the eldest son of Martin Hoffman and Victoria Wanek, was born in Melville, Saskatchewan. He passed away from cancer and heart complications after a lengthy stay at St. Boniface Hospital.
His Father, Martin, was also born in Melville and his Mother, Victoria, was born in what was then the small town of Rowne, Poland (now Rivne, Ukraine).
Nelson attended Beliveau Elementary School, Windsor Park Collegiate, and eventually the University of Manitoba where he studied Chemistry.
He was employed at the University of Manitoba Animal Holding Facility in the Zoology Department as a junior technician during his studies. In the last year of studies for his BSc degree, he was offered the Senior position in the Animal Holding Facility. However, this position was demanding and would not allow him to complete his degree if it was accepted. Nelson chose to accept the new position for the sake of investing in a home and family. Moreover, the duties of his employment were consistent with his personal skills as well as his hobbies. He looked after the animals in his care, but also kept the facility in good working order due to his plumbing and electrical knowledge, thereby going beyond the official scope of his duties. With his passion for carpentry, he often constructed the animal pens himself at home, to a standard that was beyond the expectations of those in charge of the complex. Because of his excellent work and familiarity with the facility, he was given the directorship of the Animal Holding Facility after 10 years of employment; in total, he worked at the facility for 33 years, and was consulted by future directors after his retirement. Even having never officially achieved the BSc degree, he obtained the departmental trust of his superiors for what would now be a position that can only be filled by a PhD in Zoology.
Nelson's most beloved hobby was carpentry, which he developed early in his teens and mastered in his twenties. He was fond of saying that his garage had never had a car in it: the garage was instead a workshop, which he used to build, build, build. These projects would range from furniture for family and friends, to beekeeping equipment, to wooden bowls, and beyond. Nelson had countless tools available to create works of precision for needs that are too great to enumerate. Nelson would also put his carpentry skills to work in creating various artistic items such as religious icons, decorated boxes, and chess boards for chess piece sets that had no boards to accompany them. When Nelson gave gifts, they were most often hand-made.
In addition to carpentry, Nelson would keep bees with his brother, Carlyle. A handful of beehives provided ample honey for family and close friends, not to mention many joyful customers who were very content at the quality of the product. Many of these customers became relations and lifelong friends.
Nelson enjoyed growing vegetables in a large backyard garden. In his front yard, he tended a sizeable flower and rock garden, and could often be observed chatting with neighbours who passed by, sometimes for hours at a time. Nelson and his family also had a huge vegetable garden neighbouring the property of his wife, Katherine's parents, about 40 minutes outside of Winnipeg near East Selkirk, which his family simply called "The Farm." Most Sundays after church, the whole family went to visit The Farm, where they tended the larger garden and visited with Katherine's family for the whole day. After perhaps having rescued a piece of farm equipment that had broken down deep in the field, these visits were punctuated with card games like Whist and Cribbage.
Nelson is survived and lovingly remembered by his wife Katherine, his son James (Selina), and his grandchildren Cyrus, Shasta, and Keturah: by his sister, Jewel Hoffman Dhuru (Virendra), his nephew Rahul/George, niece Rebecca (Alan) and grand nieces Nalini and Nahia: and his brother Carlyle. Nelson is also survived by extended family living in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia: Aunt Geraldine Goetzie (98), cousins Benedikte, Miles (Carol) and Carlyle (Gina): Aunts Barbara, Rose, Verna, Lee, and Uncle Lionel Hoffman and myriads of other cousins. Nelson is honoured by his wife's family: brother Kenneth (Melanie), brother Douglas (Leslie), and sister Lorraine (Robert): his nieces Jessica, Kaitlyn, and Jeannine, his nephews Alexander and Zachary, and also Cousins Verne and Jayce with whom he also did beekeeping. Nelson was also very fond of his neighbours: Lise and her daughter, Brielle: Terry and Miriam with their son Max: Peter and Colette with their son Loic: by Jacques and Melissa, close friends of the family, and many other relatives and acquaintances.
May his memory endure forever - Vichnaya Pamyat.
