Janet Hoffman

Janet Hoffman, of Amherst MA, died on October 10, 2024, after a brief illness.

Jan was born on November 6, 1939, in Philadelphia PA, to Martha and Harold Snover. After graduating from Interboro High School in 1957, she studied at Wooster College, where she majored in French literature, sang in the chorus, and met future husband Ken. After graduating in 1961, she went on to get a Masters in French literature from Tufts University in 1965. From 1965-66 and 1967-70 she taught French at Talladega College in Alabama, where she and others founded an integrated kindergarten so that their children would not have to attend a segregated institution. She and her family moved to Amherst MA in 1970, where she worked at the Common School, an independent elementary school. Although she began as a French teacher, she later became the librarian there, as she developed a novel library cataloging system using shapes and colors that was more amenable to use by actual children. This began a love of children’s books that continued unabated for the rest of her life. One of her great pleasures in later years was keeping current with developments in children’s literature by reading The Horn Book, perusing the librarians’ picks in the children’s section at the Jones LIbrary, and making frequent use of interlibrary loan.

Jan became a Quaker in college and was an active member of Mt Toby Friends Meeting in Leverett from 1970 until her death. Quakerism became an increasingly important part of her life; she engaged deeply with a wide range of Friends around spirituality and Quaker practices, gave numerous keynote addresses, spent six months as a Friend In Residence at Woodbrooke Quaker Study Center, and served in many Quaker organizations, including Friends United Meeting, Friends General Conference, Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns, and New England Yearly Meeting, where she served as clerk from 1983 to 1987 and as clerk of the Faith and Practice revision committee for New England Yearly Meeting for many years. Some particular areas of concern over the years included the use of clearness committees for personal discernment, same-gender marriage, and ministering and eldering. A sampling of writings includes Clearness Committees and Their Use in Personal Discernment, Eros and the Life of the Spirit (scroll to chapter), On Faithfulness and Integrity, To Listen, To Minister, To Witness (scroll to chapter), and A Deeper Service: Ministers & Elders Working Together. She maintained an extensive and deep spiritual correspondence with many F(f)riends.

Enduring passions included trains, tea, children’s books, weeding, Chagall, Proust, Faulkner, and postage stamps (for their aesthetics, not their official value as collectibles). She appreciated people who shared her passions, for example frequenting a post office in Hadley rather than closer options in Amherst because the postal workers there were much more interested in stamps. She had an amazing ability to connect with all kinds of people because of her genuine curiosity and respect. Jan knew how to find joy in small things as well–ironed napkins, wingprints in the snow, coordinated colors, elegantly arranged food on her lunch plate, and the perfect slice of baguette and cheese.

Her husband of 63 years, Kenneth Hoffman, died exactly one week after Jan. She is survived by daughter Mika and son-in-law Matt Wall, and deeply beloved grandsons Duncan and Izzy; daughter Jennie and son-in-law Daniel Froehlich; brother Wayne Snover and his wife Jan Tebbel; sisters-in-law Jeannette Faber and Kathy Hoffman; nieces and nephews Yanji Lama (Chad Hurley), Sherrie Sliski (Tom), Amber Luton (Mitch Palmer), John Luton (Jen), Andy Snover (Katie), Melinda Snover (Jon Tyson), Joe Luther, and John Luther. She was preceded in death by sister Betsy Luther.

A joint memorial meeting for Ken and Jan under the care of Mount Toby Friends Meeting will be held at 2:00pm on January 18, 2025, at the Hadley Methodist Church. It will be possible to attend via Zoom; please contact Mika or Jennie for the link.