Diane J Hoffman

Diane Joyce Hoffman (Di) passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of Thursday, July 9th 2026. Di was born on August 12, 1946 in Baltimore, Maryland, the second child of Bernard (Bern) and Charlotta (Lottie) Wolinski. Her older brother, Bernard (Bernie) Wolinski, Jr passed away in February 2012. She is survived by her husband of 58 years, James (Jim) Hoffman, her three children, Mark James Hoffman, Michael Kevin Hoffman, Scott David Hoffman, and her two grandchildren, Katelyn Marie Hoffman and Kevin Michael Hoffman. In 1979, she gave birth to a stillborn child, Matthew Brian Hoffman, whom she will be laid to rest.

Di spent her early years with her parents and brother in Baltimore City, just blocks from Memorial Stadium, where her father worked as a Baltimore City firefighter, and her mother was a homemaker. In 1967, Jim and Di married and bought their first house in Randallstown. Shortly after their first son, Mark, was born, they decided to buy their first boat. Being on the water was a special place for Di – she loved the sun and the water, and countless days were spent heading over to Hart-Miller Island to go swimming, soaking in some sun, and waterskiing. During this time, Di became a very talented cake baker and decorator, making cakes for weddings, birthdays, and other celebrations and later started working in jewelry sales at Best Product in Woodlawn to earn extra spending money. Summer vacations with the family were spent with her side of the family at her Aunt Marge-Lane’s beach house in Bethany Beach, and later with Jim’s side of the family in Ocean City at 81 Beach Hill.

Her German and Polish roots are how she learned the many dishes that would be a hallmark of gatherings at the Hoffman house – most notably hosting yearly large family gatherings for Christmas and Labor Day. She spent many countless hours typing up and documenting these recipes in a set of two binders that she gave to her sons – they are a little bit of a recipe and a lot of storytelling of how to make those classic dishes. In 1988, the family moved to their current house in Ellicott City. During this time, she worked as an administrative assistant at Turf Valley Golf Course. This is also where they bought their second boat they kept at a marina in Middle River. Both her and Jim loved to go down to the marina and spend weekends on the boat and in the pool, where they made good friendships with other boat owners. She loved spending time with her friends and family, going out to dinner or getting crabs to celebrate family birthdays, and enjoyed babysitting and watching her grandkids play soccer and lacrosse.

Visitation will be held at Witzke Funeral Homes Inc., 5555 Twin Knolls Road, Columbia, MD 21045, US, on July 22, 2026, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, and again on July 22, 2026, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

A Funeral Service will take place at Church of the Resurrection, 3175 Paulskirk Dr, Ellicott City, MD 21042, US, on July 23, 2026, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm.

A Committal Service will be held at Lakeview Memorial Park, 2724 Liberty Rd, Sykesville, MD 21784, US, on July 23, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 1:15 pm.