John C. Hoff July 21, 1941 - June 3, 2017

Resident of Sunnyvale, California, John entered the world two months prematurely in Lincoln, Nebraska. The fourth child of Viola Heyne Hoff and J. Norman Hoff, he grew up in Kansas City.

John died at home on June 3 after ten months of in-home hospice care for emphysema and heart issues. He is sur­vived by his loving wife of 44 years, Linda Hoffman Hoff of Sunnyvale, and sons Nick, Andrew, and Chris of San Francisco. He was predeceased by his parents, siblings Douglas Hoff, Barbara Hufnagel and Joanne Knight.

To all who knew him, John was kind and gentle, with a dry humor and formidable intellect. He loved family and friends, philosophy study sessions with his sons, singing barber­shop, playing trumpet, languages, word puzzles, practi­cal jokes, limericks, baseball, spirited discussions, reading, woodworking, math and Dixieland jazz.

John possessed a lifelong, insatiable pursuit of knowledge. Awarded an academic scholarship to Yale University, he graduated in 1963 (B.A. Math). He went on to earn a Masters degree in applied math from Purdue University (1965). In 1968 at Purdue he was the eleventh person ever in the world to receive a doctorate in computer science.

After 2 years at Service Bureau Corp. of San Jose, he pursued academia as a professor for 5 years at the University of San Francisco, followed by 10 years as an entrepreneur developing statistical business software, published in that field. For several years he was a senior software engineer for semiconductor inspection equipment, finishing his career in the flat panel display industry.

John's family suggests a contribution to San Francisco Parks Alliance (specify Alemany Farm/John Hoff), addressed to Alemany Farm, John Stokes, 162 Hearst Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94131.

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