Christopher G Hoffman

Christopher George Hoffman, age 53, passed away at home on Sunday, March 26, 2023. Chris was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on December 15, 1969. He joined the Air Force at 19 to see the world and to make a brighter future for himself. He served 10 years as an Air Force firefighter – stationed at McGuire AFB in New Jersey, Howard AFB in Panama, and Columbus AFB in Mississippi, with deployments to Bosnia and Saudi Arabia along the way. When he left the Air Force, he served an additional 15 years as a civilian firefighter at Eglin AFB.  

Chris was a man of extremes. He never did anything halfway. He loved completely and totally, was generous to a fault, but could also be harsh and distant. He was loud and brash, but could also be extremely gentle and compassionate. On the outside, he appeared to be a healthy and confident guy; but on the inside, he doubted everything. Years of trauma contributed to severe PTSD, which stole much of his peace and quality of life. He served his country and his community for 25 years, yet doubted his value as a human being and whether he’d made a difference. In recent years, Chris found great peace in photography as he sought out the beauty in the world around him. Our pets also brought him great comfort. His capacity for love and inability to watch an animal suffer meant a lot of rescues. He leaves behind his four-legged children - three dogs: Obi, Cecil and Bones, and five cats: Grace, Woobie, Loki, Doodle and Ivan.  

Chris chose not to have children as he wanted to break the cycle of abuse he experienced as a child, but he adored being an uncle to our nephew and five nieces: Shane Allen (23), Cheyenne (20), Aaliyah (7), Adalynn (6), Amelia (4) and Eva (2). He also adored being a surrogate uncle to many of the kids of his fellow firefighters. He often didn’t know how to express it, but he loved being part of their lives and watching them grow into amazing human beings.  

Chris is survived by his loving wife Dawn, cousin Barbara, and her daughter Emma. He will be sorely missed, but his loved ones can take comfort knowing that Chris is no longer suffering. He no longer has to battle his own mind for peace.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Healing Paws For Warriors or Alaqua Animal Refuge.

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