Benjamin C. Hoffman, Ph.D. passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family after a long and courageous battle with cancer on February, 26th 2019 in Victoria, BC.
Born and raised in Pembroke, Ontario by his parents Alice (nee Tunn) and Allen he is pre-deceased by brothers Allen, Jr. and Calvin (husband to Gail). Ben will be dearly missed by wife, Ann (nee Suter); sons Evan & Warren; Daughter-in-laws Kristy & Christine; grandchildren Kiya, Vance & Zenik as well as his sister, Joybelle and Brother, Arlie (Darlene) plus numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives in Vancouver and the Ottawa Valley.
Ben enjoyed spending time at the lake. Many dear friends from the area and from around the world have fond memories of the gatherings, parties and other events which Ben and Ann were known for hosting at their handmade house in the hills near Foymount where good times were always had by many.
Ben built on his Ottawa valley-roots by dedicating his life to peacemaking at home & abroad and was well-known for his numerous interests in carving, poetry, politics, filmmaking and writing books. He loved the challenge of taking on new projects and was a trend-setter.
Because Ben had a genuine interest connecting with every person he met, the impact of this loss is far reaching. Everyone who met Ben could attest to his kindness, passion and zest for life.
A celebration of life is being planned for the summer of 2019 in the Ottawa Valley.
Ben’s family asks that you give in his name, as he has so generously done for others.
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We are heartbroken that Ben has passed away. He was an inspiration and a special person in our lives. We will remember him for his formidable storytelling and sharp wit, his many gifts as a peacemaker, his prose and poetry and artistry. We were fortunate to have him as a friend! Our condolences to Ann and family.
Love Joe and Anami.
I join all the friends in sending the condolence on Ben’s death to Ann and the family. We all come to the planet earth destined to do something and need to go away having done our task. Ben has successfully completed his task. Farewell dear friend Ben
Poorna Adhikary
So sorry to hear of Ben’s passing. Our Deepest Sympathy to Ann & Family.
RIP Ben
The world is a poorer place with Ben gone.
Love and condolences to Anna and the family.
Elizabeth and Neil O’Connor: Pembroke, Ontario
We have lost a wonderful friend and very special person, brilliant and funny and so nice to have in our lives. Thinking of all of you at this sad time. I am just going to think of him playing and partying with John.
Ann, I’m so sorry to hear of the passing of Ben. He was a great person and he will be sorely missed. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Our deepest condolences to Ann and all her family. I think the world has lost a very special soul with Ben’s passing. ????
Ben will be greatly missed. He was a breath of fresh air in any gathering.
A true renaissance man. Our deepest sympathies to Ann & all the members of his family. Rest in peace, you have changed the lives of many.
I had the privilege to work for Ben during some of his peacemaking efforts which he through himself into, body and soul. He was an inspiration. My deepest sympathy to Ann and the family.
A special person, who influenced so many in the world, may you Rest In Peace. Our thoughts go out to Ann and all your family.
Joanne Pellis and Graham Travers
I would send my deepest condolences to Ann and family. Dear friend and peace warrior Ben will be greatly missed
Dear Ann and Ben’s whole family. I grieve with you the passing of a man whose far reaching intelligence, compassion, decency, and deep poetic warrior/poet spirit touched so very many lives. Even carrying his own burdens, he always offered assistance and encouragement to everyone around him.
Ben was a truly Great Man and it was an honour to share some small part in his journey. May he Rest In Peace. Goodbye my friend.
Our condolences to Ann and family. Sent from Ivan & Glenda Hoffman and family.
We were so fortunate to have experienced Ben and Ann’s generosity and kindness through the years. He was a great storyteller and always genuinely interested in learning about the lives of others. Author, International mediator, negotiator, peacekeeper and good guy. Our hearts go out to Ann and the family.
It is with a heavy heart that I write this message. Ben was a friend who mentored me in my career as a peacemaker and advocate. He was a selfless person. He helped me and my family unconditionally. Our deepest condolences to Ann and family. RIP Ben.
Jeffrey &Senzeni Mapendere and family
So sorry to hear of the passing of Benny. We will miss his sharing and caring in the Ottawa Valley. Our deepest sympathy to Ann and family from Milton and Marlyn, your country cousin!
R.I.P. Benny, you fought the good fight! Our sympathy to Ann and family! Mona and Dave Harris
It is with sadness that I learned the passing of Ben. I cherish the times spent with him in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa where he mentored me in my first international mediation assignment. My sincere condolences to Ann, Evan, Warren and family. Ben, thank you and may you rest in peace.
My deepest sympathy to Ann and family on your loss of Ben. May your joyful memories help to ease your grief and know that you have another angel to watch over you. God bless
Quite simply, Ben was a lovely man. The world is a lesser place without him in it. It was a pleasure to know him. Ann, we hope to see you when you next come to Toronto.
To Anne and family. My sincere condolences to you and your family on the passing of Benny as I called him when we were young. I was so glad to have had the opportunity to reconnect with him at your foymount home in the summer of 2015. This was just before your planned move to Tofino BC. He was the nicest guy growing up and hadn’t changed much in demeanour when I last saw him. I have often thought of my youth, growing up in Pembroke and the great time we all had as kids and memories of Ben always popped up. again, my thoughts and prayers go out to your whole family
Paul Junop
Alliston, Ontario
Ben, colleague and dear friend, thanks for the incredible memories! Working with and for you & Ann & Evan was always a joyous adventure, whether in Ottawa, Halifax, Uganda, West Africa, Fiji, or Canada’s west coast. Your plentiful, often playful, carvings are happy mementos of your endless creativity, as are the books you authored. Some of your final written words provide us with an autobiographical reflection of what was important to you, delivered with a mischievous reminder not to take ourselves too seriously.
From “Dream Catching Canada”:
“There is another drum we hear
And the dreams we dream
Inspire hope and ignite the flames
… And the songs we sing
And the important ways we find meaning
On the frontier of the unknown really do matter
And that we are made better by using power with
And not over one another…
ps now it’s time to rant”
To Ann, Evan, Warren, and family. I was very sad to hear of Ben’s passing and I offer my sincere condolences. I worked with Ben for many years. He was passionate, caring and dedicated to bettering people’s lives. I learned much from Ben, as I know, so many others did as well. The example he set will live on through many people. Richard Moore, Ottawa
I only knew Ben for a short time in Victoria when we collaborated on an article on departments of peace. Despite his advanced illness, he devoted himself to the article, inviting my wife, Penny, and I to his home, where we met his devoted wife, Ann. His indomitable spirit and dedication to peacebuilding will not be forgotten and urges us to greater action and responsibility in this essential work.
To Ann and family. Our paths crossed too few times but when they did it was always a pleasure. Those times will be missed. Eddy Bimm Ottawa
Our deepest sympathy to Anne and family. May you find comfort and hold close all of your happy memories of dear Ben. With Love, Janey Lynch and Kirstie Gray Pembroke
Annie and family. I am so sad to hear about Benny. He was such a kind and warm friend to me all those years ago. I always felt like a sister to him and have tried to keep track of him all these years. Sounds to me like he accomplished so much in his life………I hope to see you this summer when you come back to Pembroke. You were always the light of his life Annie.
I have been struggling with how to properly express my sadness for Ann, Evan and Warren, and families.
Ben and my father, Bill, were life long friends. No matter the space between us, be it decades or distance, the bond between our families will always remain strong. With much love and admiration, Rebecca
Dear Ann ,Evan ,Warren and families:
We were so saddened to hear about our dear friend ‘Benny’, He was such a warm and dynamic guy with a rich life to celebrate. Our deepest sympathy and best wishes for you during this time. We know that his love , and enduring legacy will help you to get through the days ahead. Take care and much love, Rory and Imelda xx
So sorry to hear of Ben,s passing a great loss to all…a fine gentleman
Our condolences to Ben’s family; he was an exceptional and memorable man who left a deep impression on those who met him. The world of peace-making has lost a great champion in him.
I just returned from a trip only to receive this sad news today. Ben was an exceptional human being, truly one-of-a-kind. His humor, decency and kindness touched all. He will be greatly missed by his loving family and by all who knew him. My deepest condolences.
I knew Ben when he worked at the Carter Center in Atlanta. He was a unique person. Brave, thoughtful and kind. He had a deep belief in the power of conflict resolution, and took on difficult and sometimes dangerous assignments. I am grateful to have gotten to know him, and benefited from his insight and wisdom. My deepest condolences to Ann, his sons and his extended family.
We count ourselves very fortunate to have first met Ben in the 1990s when he came to York to do his PhD, and a deep friendship was formed. Latterly meeting Ann and the family was such a pleasure too, and working together on his publications was always a joy. He will be so badly missed by his family, and all of us whose lives he touched. Rest in peace, Benny Boy. Love to Ann, Evan, Warren, and their families.
I was both, shocked to read that Ben passed away, and also smiling when I got to know he passed away at home with his family. Even though I only knew Ben in his “work life”, we repeatedly spoke about his family with great joy, and I could tell he was thankful and proud of his family.
He was a great motivator in my professional mediation paths, and he also encouraged me to take enough time and space for my partnership, kids, for other things that I love doing, besides a career. In fact, he had such a grounded karma, that he didn’t need to explain much. Only “preaching ” things he profoundly believed him, that’s how I understood, he had such a soft persuasive power. In addition, his way of integrating spiritual spheres in what he did and taught was a great inspiration for myself. And listening more carefully to the own gut feeling an integral part of the personal sanity.
Besides the few trainings I joined as a co-trainer, I really enjoyed spending time with him. As I have several friends in Vancouver and never made it there yet, I always thought I’d do that one day and could pay a visit to Ben. That’s not going to happen this way, but we’ll meet somewhere else then. The book and message he sent me e few months ago is half way read, and I’ll continue reading it thinking of him.
I’m very grateful to have spent a bit time with Ben. He must have a wonderful family. My best wishes to his family, with love and gratitude from Berlin.
Christoph
So sad to hear that. Ben was an inspiration for me, and a wonderful teacher. My heartfelt condolences to his family, and may he rest in peace.
So sorry to hear of your loss, Ann, Evan, Warren and all your extended family. This loss is all of ours of course – Ben contributed to so much to peace in the world and creativity and joy as well. I am touched that even in his later months, suffering as he was, he wanted to extend his knowledge for others and still teach and share and contribute. It was an honor to know him and be touched by his spirit. I trust he is in some ways closer now.
A beautiful bright light has left us…the world is just a little dimmer now. My sincere condolences to all.
My sincere condolences to Ben’s family. He was a colleague and friend in the peace building community who contributed with his whole heart and soul. I am trust sorry for your loss.
My sincere and heartfelt condolences go to his family, friends and closed ones. I only met Ben personally once during a training and felt very honoured to have the chance meeting and being trained by him. I remember him as such a committed, kind and inspiring person. Sharing thoughts with him and listening to his experience gave deep insights. I admired his perspectives on what it means being a mediator up and connected strongly also to the spiritual meaning he gave to it. I am so sorry for your loss and sad to hear him being gone. May he rest in peace.
Sincere condolences to Ann and the family on Ben’s passing. He was an exceptional man who made a very significant contribution to the lives of many during his time on this planet.
(HI Ann Warren Evan and family sad times on the mountain we miss you all, till the next time we meet Glenn& Donnax
Hello Ann – just heard today via a conversation with someone that Ben passed away in February. We knew he’d been ill and tried to keep tabs how things were going with folks around here who knew him. Tony and I will remember Ben today with much fondness. He was a tremendous help to us back in the late 70’s/early 80’s when we lived in the Cormac area from where a friendship developed with him and yourself from that. Our two adult children still have fond memories of the times you both so graciously lent us your home on Kelly Lake in the summer after we had moved back to Southern Ontario. Our heartfelt condolences to you and all your family. May Ben rest in peace….
I am so sorry to hear of Ben’s passing. He was such a dynamic and thoughtful man. He used this life well. Please let me know when the celebration of life is this summer.
For many years, decades really, I have thought of reconnecting with my old finds, Ben And Ann. This morning I searched my memory of where Ben and Ann last lived, in the Ottawa Valley.
I first read a wonderful article in an Ottawa paper that chronicled many of Ben’s Distinguished contributions to world peace and wanted to congratulate Ben on his significant contributions…I then searched a second site only to find that Ben had passed away earlier this year.
To Ann and family please accept my sincerest condolences and please forgive me for not reaching you earlier.
My fond memories of Ben and Ann date back to the 70’s when we were students at Wilfrid Laurier University. I was enrolled in anM.T.S. programme in Waterloo Lutheran Seminary. Ben Ann and I spent many, many hours sitting on the floor of the university concourse (often missing classes} discussing liberation theology, philosophy, Eastern and Amerindian religions and solving world problems. Often our discussions, buoyed by wine, and the occasional other relaxant, would continue late into the night at Ben and Ann’s second floor apartment… these were times i will always cherish.
When we went our separate ways, Ben confided in me tha t he planned to work hard, make a difference, retire by age 40, build a home near Pembroke where Ann would make and sell crafts.Well, my dear, old friend, that and so much more.
I have spent my last 10 years retired on a rice farm in N. E. (Isaan) Thailand but thinking of you over the miles…and years!
Sorry I missed you this time around,Ben I’ll do my best to catch up with you later”Requiescat in Pace” my friend. Tan & Barry
To Ann and family,
I am so sorry to hear of Ben’s passing. I have admired him so much over the years, and feel enriched by his wisdom and kindness and down-to-earth nature. He was a great man, and I so wish he could have stayed in your lives longer. He offered and gave so much to the world. My sincere condolences.
Kathy