Burton Douglas Hoffman was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut on 8 February 1923 and died, peacefully, of natural causes at the age of 97, surrounded by his family, in Stamford, Connecticut on 2 September 2020. He is survived by his wife, Carol (neé Wattenberg), of 73 years, by their three children, David (Ann), Augusta, James (Joy), and by their four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Burton was the son of Ida (neé Kasden) and Michael Hoffman. He grew up in Bridgeport and spent his summers at Fairfield Beach, where he acquired a life-long passion for sailing and swimming.
He enlisted with the US Army at the age of 17 and was assigned to the 9th Army’s 95th Battalion, Company C, as a medic, trained especially in the treatment of those wounded by chemical gas in warfare. He served with distinction in the clash at Hürtgen Forest and at the Battle of the Bulge. He and his Company aided in the liberation of detainees from the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp and from the Theresienstadt Death Camp. Of exemplary note was their discovery and freeing of captives locked in railway trains outside of Farsleben, Germany: The unit treated the survivors for several weeks in nearby homes and in a hospital in Hillersleben, Germany, and then trained local doctors and nurses to take over their care. For their assistance, his unit received a Meritorious Unit Commendation for Outstanding Service. As Burton spoke German, Yiddish, and Polish, he was able to communicate with the survivors and their families, who later regularly wrote to him and telephoned to thank him for his service.
After the War, Burton joined the family fuel business and later the real estate business. He was known for his philanthropy and work in the community, as President of New Neighborhoods, the Greater Stamford United Way, and the Stamford Jewish Community Center. He was also a member of the Presidents’ Circle at Stamford Hospital and one of the founding members of Rockrimmon Country Club, to name only some of his accomplishments. A patron of the arts, music, and medical research, his legacy will live on.
An avid player of golf and tennis, as well as an accomplished sailor and swimmer, he taught his children and his grandchildren how to brave watershots and sandtraps, how to return topshots, and how to navigate the seas of life.
Born a Yankee, died a Met.
He will truly be missed.
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