Edwin Hoffman, 92, of Vero Beach, passed away peacefully after a long illness with family at his bedside on May 10, 2015.
He is survived by his wife Eve; his daughter Kimberly Anne Elizabeth Samperton (Kyle) of Washington D.C.; his granddaughter Lucinda; and his daughter-in-law Karen Hoffman.
He is predeceased by his son, Mark, who passed away on Dec. 20, 2012 at the age of 60.
Hoffman was the only child born to Joseph M. Hoffman and Mildred Hoffman (nee Cribari) of Chicago, Ill., on June 29, 1922.
He was educated at St. Mel’s Catholic High School in Chicago, graduating in 1939, just before the U.S. entered World War II. He enlisted in the Army and served in Kansas. After being honorably discharged, Hoffman entered the University of Kansas, planning to study medicine. He was one of only 10 applicants passing an eligibility exam out of 1,000 who applied.
After two years he changed career objectives and transferred to Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., where he graduated in 1947 with a Bachelor of Science in Management. He was accepted immediately for the trainee program at Carson Pirie Scott & Company department store chain headquarters in Chicago, advancing to Divisional Merchandise Manager in just four years. His immediate superior at the company took a position as President with DePinna, a high-end specialty clothier in New York City and asked Hoffman to join him there.
In 1952, he accepted the position of Vice President and General Merchandise Manager. After three years, in 1955 he was recruited by Higbee’s Department Store in Cleveland, Ohio to become a Divisional Merchandise Manager. By 1962, he was named President of the company. Under Hoffman’s leadership, Higbee’s experienced a significant period of growth marked by the addition of three new stores.
He loved the company and the city of Cleveland, Ohio, but in 1967, left Higbee’s to become President and Director of John Wanamaker’s Department Stores in Philadelphia, Penn. The move was short-lived, however, when Hoffman’s forward-thinking proved too innovative for the staid, century-old retailer. However, it did put him in position to accept an offer from the legendary Woodward and Lothrop retailer in Washington, D.C. On Aug. 1, 1968, he was named Executive Vice President and General Manager of the company. A year later he was named President and Chief Executive.
Over the next 10 years, Hoffman led the company through an unparalleled expansion, opening six stores and renovating the existing stores to give the company a fresh, modern look. In 1978 he was named Chairman and CEO. During his final years at Woodward and Lothrop, he negotiated the company’s acquisition by Taubman Holdings, the nation’s leading shopping center owner and developer. Then in 1986, he was asked to manage the company’s acquisition of his former employer, Philadelphia-based John Wanamaker’s.
In Jan. 1987, he was named Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of John Wanamaker in addition to the same position at Woodward & Lothrop. After successfully consolidating the two companies, Hoffman retired in 1989.
Throughout his career, Hoffman developed a national reputation in business and merchandising. From 1972 to 1974 he served as chairman of the Associated Merchandising Corporation and as a director from 1976 to 1980. He was a member of the Executive Committee of the National Retail Merchants Association and a Director of the American Retail Federation.
He also served as a board member for the American Security Bank, the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company, Potomac Electric Power Co. (PEPCO), Maryland National Bank, Lincoln National Life Insurance, and DynCorp International. Hoffman was a firm believer in the importance and future of downtown Washington, D.C. area, even though he arrived there on the heels of the 1968 race riots, which virtually destroyed it. He used his influence and vision to promote construction of the Convention Center, which opened in 1983 and was appointed by the Mayor to serve on the Convention Center’s first Board of Directors.
He also served on the boards of several non-profit organizations including the National Symphony, the Corporate Fund for Performing Arts at the Kennedy Center, the Wolf Trap Foundation and the Greater Washington Board of Trade, which honored him as its Man of the Year in 1979.
He is a former trustee of George Washington University, the Corcoran Gallery and the Washington Opera. Hoffman was an officer and trustee of the Federal City Council and a director of the Washington-Baltimore Regional Association.In 1986, he helped establish the still successful Economic Club of Washington and served on the organization’s inaugural Board of Directors.
In each of his varied business and philanthropic endeavors, Hoffman was known to have an aptitude for recognizing and nurturing talented professionals. He was most respected by peers for his hallmark quality work, fair treatment of others and the ability to enjoy life, especially when it came to the game of golf.
Hoffman was passionate about golf and the many friendships that came with it. He was a member of Columbia Country Club and Burning Tree Club (where he had two holes-in-one), in Bethesda, Md., Metropolitan Club in Washington, D.C., Greenbrier in W.Va., (also had a hole in one), Pine Valley Golf Club in New Jersey, and in Vero Beach, Johns Island Club, Bent Pine Golf Club (also a hole in one) and Quail Valley River Club. None were as dear to him as Johns Island Club in Vero Beach.
After retiring in 1989 from Woodward and Lothrop, Hoffman and Eve selected John’s Island as their permanent home. His early retirement was filled with many enjoyable years trying to perfect his golf skills until sidelined by a back injury. He carried an average 18 handicap during his playing years.
He then developed a passion for early American literature. A self-described news enthusiast, Hoffman read four newspapers a day and a dozen magazines each month, all cover to cover. In recent years, Hoffman’s most treasured memories have been made with his wife Eve, their loving canine companion, Coco, and their eclectic group of friends throughout Vero Beach. He has also supported many worthy local Vero Beach causes with charitable contributions.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated May 22, 10 a.m., at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 500 Iris Lane in Vero Beach. His family requests that any donations be made to the Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice Foundation, 1110 34th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960 or the Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County, 6230 77th Street, Vero Beach FL 32967-5009. No flowers please.
