Hershberger, Kathleen Sill Hoffman (1942-2009)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2009 Jul 20 p. 9

Birth date: 1942 Sep 11

text of obituary:

KATHLEEN HERSHBERGER

Kathleen Sill Hoffman Hershberger died on June 28, 2009, after a battle with breast cancer. She was born in Lyons, N.Y., on Sept. 11, 1942, and lived in Syracuse. Most of her early years were spent in Cape Vincent on the St. Lawrence river.

She spent a lifetime doing volunteer work beginning as a Camp Fire Girl leader, Meals on Wheels driver, North Syracuse Lionette, room mother and Sunday school teacher. She was a volunteer tutor with the Cross Roads Tutoring Program. She served on the board of directors of the North Area YMCA and on it’s building committee. She was named the first “Woman of the Year” by the Metropolitan YMCA. She served on the board of the North Area Volunteer Center and volunteered at the downtown office. She served on the Community General Hospital Auxiliary Board, where she edited the Auxiliary Newsletter and handled publicity. She was a longtime buyer for the Hospital Gift Shop.

She was an active member of Bellevue Heights United Methodist Church and its Hope Circle. She served as Enrichment Time coordinator, Sunday school teacher and as financial secretary. She was also an associate member of Cape Vincent United Methodist Church.

She enjoyed spending time visiting their children and grandchildren at her homes in Clayton, N.Y., and Sarasota, Fla.

She is survived by her husband of 26 years, Gordon; a son, Jeffrey Hoffman and his wife, MaryEllen, of Tampa, Fla.; a daughter, Karen Beatty and her husband, Rob, of Phoenix, Ariz.; stepchildren, Heidi Kovarik and her husband, Dave, of Syracuse, Amy Hershberger and her husband, Paul Monsour, of Pasadena, Calif., and Jonathan Hershberger and his wife, Roopal Patel, of Tampa, Fla.; three siblings, Elsie Visser, Stewart Sill and Steven Sill; a stepmother, Jeanne Welt; a stepsister, Nancy Bennett; and eight grandchildren.

She was predeceased by a grandson, Matthew Beatty; and a sister, Suzanne Sill.

Services were held at Bellevue Heights United Methodist Church. Burial was in Riverside Cemetery, Cape Vincent.