Richard Ernest Hoffman, 75, of Plantation, Florida passed away peacefully on October 18^th, 2018 in Virginia Beach, Virginia after a long battle with cancer.

Born on June 15^th, 1943 in Long Island, New York to Margaret (Née Donovan) and Ernest Hoffman, Richard began clamming with his father at a young age on the Great South Bay of Long Island. He worked in the marine industry over 40 years, starting his career as a commercial fishing vessel captain in the Southeastern United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. Richard then moved on to Tracor Marine Shipyard in Fort Lauderdale, FL (where he met Virginia) for ship conversion and Navy projects including salvage operations and began installing submarine cable systems for US Navy Ranges. As a later employee of General Offshore and finally Great Eastern Group, he specialized in planning and executing submarine cable installation projects, cable repair projects, and worked as an owner’s representative. During his career he supported global projects on many of the beaches of the world and on numerous cable ships before retiring in 2014 as Vice President of Marine Operations for Great Eastern Group Inc. He still continued working on special projects even into 2018.

Richard’s true passion was the restoration of the 50-foot teak Chinese Junk “Ming Hai” located in Barrington, RI over the past 10 years where he would live aboard during the summer months. He loved to sit pierside and sail on the Narragansett Bay while surrounded by friends, family, and music and he was featured on the TV show Travel Channel, Extreme Houseboats several years ago. Every year he would start repairing, sanding, varnishing in April and continue until November or whenever he decided it was too cold. A labor of love that never became tedious.

He is survived by his wife Virginia; Children, Lizabeth (Damien) Hoffman-McQuaid, Michele Hoffman, and Matthew (Kelsey) Hoffman; Grandchildren, Denys, Timothy, Ryan, Alyssa, Emily, Hailey, and Grand-dog Blue; Sisters, Regina (Eugene) McGrellis, Beatrice (Don) Cox, Joan Kiesel, Dolores Schneider, and Joyce Potter. Over his lifetime he collected many additional extended family members including Nicholas Robinson Baker, Andrew and Pam Siddons and their boys Sebastian, Connor, Hunter and Ayden, Neil and Monica Prowse and their children Lorena and Antony.

A memorial service is scheduled for 11am on Saturday November 10^th 2018 at Plantation United Methodist Church (1001 NW 70^th Ave. Plantation, Florida 33313). There will be a reception to follow. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Richard’s life. An additional memorial is scheduled for next summer onboard the Ming Hai somewhere on the Narraganset Bay.

In lieu of flowers please send donations to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital (https://www.stjude.org/give.html), the United Methodist Committee on Relief (https://www.umcor.org/), or Sentara Hospice House (https://www.sentara.com/foundation) or the charity of your choice.