Kathleen Louise Hoffman, 73, of Mystic, died peacefully at her home on Wednesday, June 5, 2019. Louise was the beloved wife of William “Bill” Hoffman for 37 years. She was the loving mother of sons Kevin DeBell (wife, Faith Ward) of Baltimore, MD, and Timothy DeBell (wife, Jennifer) of Mystic and daughters Laura Ely (husband, Richard) of Stonington, Cynthia Golder (husband, Thomas) of Berthoud, CO, and Jennifer Blue Coat (husband, Ira) of Eagle Butte, SD. She was a devoted grandmother to Andrew and Heather Boucher of Stonington; Lily, Genevieve, and Margaux DeBell of Baltimore; Millie DeBell of Mystic; and Gavin Blue Coat of Eagle Butte. She is survived by her sister Monica Natwig (husband, David) of Acton, MA, brothers R. Michael Galligan (wife, Leslie) of Jim Thorpe, PA, and Jeffery Galligan (wife, Mary) of Houston, TX, and sister-in-law Suzanne Hoffman of Liverpool, NY. She will also be sadly missed by her niece Samantha Galligan, nephews Adam and Daniel Natwig and Edward and Michael Galligan, and cousin Mary Paula Bogle.
Louise was born on July 20, 1945, in Pottstown, PA. She was the eldest child of Kathleen J. (Nuss) and Robert L. Galligan. She grew up in Rockaway, NJ, and attended Syracuse University. She was proud to have been cheerleader at SU and graduated with a BS in Speech Pathology in 1967. She later earned an MS in Industrial Relations at the University of New Haven and studied watercolor painting and drawing at Lyme Academy of Fine Arts.
Louise moved to Mystic in 1979 and worked briefly at Mystic Seaport as an interpreter on the S.S. Sabino. She then joined the Human Resources department at Electric Boat and later became a Human Resources Manager at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital. For two years in the early 1990s, Louise was Executive Director of the Mystic Chamber of Commerce. In 1995, she opened a consulting business, Affinity Training & Development, which she operated until her retirement in 2017. Louise had many friends at UTFlight in East Granby, CT, where she was a management consultant for more than a decade.
Louise and Bill enjoyed memorable travels over the years and spent many relaxing summers on Westport Island, Maine. She loved her annual trips to Cape May, NJ, where her family vacationed for over 45 years. She had boundless energy and numerous wonderful talents. Along with being a skilled painter, she was a knitter, spinner, seamstress, gardener, and baker. Louise spent many enjoyable hours with her friends in her book club and painting group. She also was an avid volunteer and a member of several boards, including the Mystic & Noank Library, St. Mark's Nursery School, and Calvary Nursery School. As a member of Calvary Church, she also served on committees for Stewardship and the Flower Guild and enjoyed knitting prayer shawls and helping with hospitality for many events.
People loved talking with Louise because she was enthusiastic, generous, and thoughtful. Many turned to her for guidance and insight. All who knew her understood her unconditional love and support for her family and friends. She was an inspiration to us all. She will be remembered fondly and missed every day.
A memorial service is planned for Thursday, July 11, at 10:00am at Calvary Church in Stonington. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Calvary Nursery School, 27 Church Street, Stonington, CT 06378.
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