Serving Larchmont Village, Hancock Park, and the Greater Wilshire neighborhoods of Los Angeles since 2011.

Joe Hoffman to be Memorialized on Friday at LA City Council

Joe Hoffman will be memorialized by the Los Angeles City Council tomorrow at the adjournment of the meeting.

Joe Hoffman, a Windsor Village resident and civic activist who served on his neighborhood association and in several leadership positions on the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, will be memorialized by the Los Angeles City Council on Friday, November 30. City Council Member David Ryu will eulogize Hoffman for his service to the community at the adjournment of Friday’s City Council meeting.

Hoffman will be honored with an Adjourning Motion made at the very end of the Council meeting, and serves as the official close of the meeting, in the honoree’s memory. It’s a City tradition reserved for Angelenos who have made significant civic contributions. Following the meeting, the City will present the Adjourning Motion to Hoffman’s family.

Hoffman passed away on November 17 just a few short months after being diagnosed with PML, a devastating neurological disease. Earlier this month, Council Member Ryu presented a Certificate of Recognition to Hoffman at his home, at a small gathering of his friends and family.

We, at the Buzz, are deeply grateful to have known Joe as a friend and professional colleague as well as someone who was passionate about improving his neighborhood and helping his neighbors. Joe was particularly helpful to us in launching our new website and improving our digital footprint. Joe gave freely of his time and intellect to so many neighborhood pursuits and we are honored that he believed wholeheartedly in our mission of local news.

We thank Joes’ family and GWNC colleagues for permitting us to post the following message honoring Joe.

Joe Hoffman’s Twitter page description, in its entirety, reads “Trying to make the world a better place” and nothing could better encapsulate the man. Joe took pleasure in the small, beautiful, delicious and amusing things around us, in cooking and gardening with thought and care, making computing simple for some of us and better for the City of Los Angeles, the Greater Wilshire NC and many grateful clients. But most fundamentally he cared about helping people – friends and strangers alike.

Born in New Jersey, Joe grew up in a village of 150 people, even though it was only an hour from New York City. Along with inheriting his family’s strong work ethic and unusual balance of creative passion and logical thinking, the mix of small-town heart and big-city dreams guided his life path and his values. After working in film editing in New York and DC, he moved to San Francisco at the same time his little brother moved to LA. Their urban rivalry remained enjoyably vivid until, chasing a boyfriend, he moved to LA in the 1990s… half a block from Melrose, and just one block from his little brother, where he lived and worked as a web designer until he came to our neighborhood in the mid 2000’s.

Joe cooked to give delight to the people who were the lucky surprise recipients of his marmalades, pickles and preserves; he helped our City’s homeless people not because he received accolades but because it was what he could do. When it came to giving of himself, he tended to believe that “could” means “should,” and so he simply did. He helped those who worked with him in innumerable ways, making their jobs easier and their work more effective – because he wanted the world to be a better place and he wanted them to make it better, too. Even to the end: One of his last tweets was “Fight stupidity with facts – go metro” which had uncharacteristic typos because even as his abilities were failing him, he was still reading, taking notes and sharing his opinion with friends, even as it became frustratingly difficult for him to express himself.

Joe was empathetic, even in criticism; kind and a bit patient, even when he was frustrated with our failings. He had a way of looking right at you in conversation, making you aware of just how much he was really listening – even as he was barely able to make conversation at the end. He was sweet, smart, wise and witty, and saw the best in people and in Los Angeles – looking constantly for a way to do even better.

He was indefatigable. An honorable, fine and funny fellow who will be missed not just for all he did, but for all he was, to all of us.

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1 COMMENT

  1. Joey was a wonderful, funny boy, a caring teenager, a talented young man and a terrific adult. I am so saddened not to be able to see him again. He was one of those few people one knows who truly made a difference. Love to Mimi.

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