Cecil S. Hoffmann

Cecil S. Hoffmann ­ Jan 23, 1931 ­ Feb 23, 2018

Cecil Sanford Hoffmann, inveterate knitter and craftsperson, animal lover, music appreciator, sports fan, public servant, and dedicated Museum of New Mexico volunteer, died on Friday, February 23rd at her home in Jaconita. She was 87. Cecil was a 18­year resident of the Santa Fe area and was deeply connected to the people, history and culture at its heart.

Born in England to Richard and Betty Barber Hoffmann, she spent her early years in Stockbridge, MA, where she recalled that her love of sports was fostered early on: listening to Boston baseball games on the radio on Saturday afternoons as she and her stepfather, Dr Ira Dixson, did yard work.

After her family’s move to Kansas during WWII, and to Denver, CO thereafter, Cecil was sent back East as a middle and high school student to attend St Mary’s School in Pough keepsie, NY. From there, she went on to Smith College, spending summers in Center City, CO, tending bar and working backstage at the Opera. Cecil graduated from Smith in 1952 with a degree in Theater.

Cecil made her way to New York City after college, and found herself part of a vibrant off ­Broadway Theatre scene and burgeoning film and television business. There she brought her love of storytelling and affinity for hard work to bear behind ­ scenes in whatever capacity was needed ­­ working alongside a group of fresh young actors including James and Patricia Broderick, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara.

In the late 1960’s, she moved south to settle in McLean, VA, a suburb of Washington, DC and to start what became a decades long career in public service. She took a job with the Department of the Interior, where she was valued not only for her writing skills but for her strong grasp of the role that the history of a nation should play in the creation of its legacy. During her tenure, she served in the Office of the Secretary in various capacities on task forces and commissions, as well as in the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, and, at one point, notably dealing with the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez oil spill while serving as a special assistant for toxic waste issues. She worked at Interior under multiple administrations, until her retirement in the late 1990s. For many years, she also kept her hand in the Theatre and music world in Virginia ­­ moonlighting backstage and helping work the door at the Birchmere Music Hall, a world renowned venue in Alexandria. Upon leaving government, Cecil also left the East and followed a cherished dream to start a new chapter in New Mexico.

Throughout her life, she remained an avid student of US and World History and was a voracious and discerning reader. Her sewing and knitting skills were both legendary, and her legacy of hand ­knitted “Cessy­socks” is widely known. She loved music ­ both listening and singing (in a rich contralto) ­ and was as likely to be found at the Opera as at a Bluegrass festival. Many, many animals found their way into her home and her heart. Some she adopted, some adopted her, some were brought to her because everyone knew she would always make room for one more. While often quite private, she loved talking to people and “being useful”, as she put it, and so found her way to the Museum, where she adored her work and her colleagues and relished the opportunity to help tell a part of the story of the Southwest. Among other projects there, she treasured her work in the Book Store and on the Santa Fe Trail committee.

Her life in Jaconita was rich in friends whom she loved and who will miss her very much. Cecil was predeceased by her cherished brother Martin, and leaves behind her beloved sisters; Elizabeth Longstreet
and Molly Mackinnon, and dear sister-­in-­law Muggy Hoffmann, along with generations of favorite nieces
and nephews. In lieu of flowers, donations in Cecil’s name may be made to the [Dartmouth College Scholarship for NA]. A memorial in Santa Fe in the Spring is pending.