John Michael Hoffman

John Michael Hoffman, age 69, of Baltimore, Ohio, passed away peacefully after a long battle with breast cancer surrounded by his loving family on Monday, May 24, 2021. He was born on October 17, 1951, in Lancaster, Ohio, to Donald Hoffman and Jennie Louise Hoffman-Hiles and Thomas Hiles, Sr.

John was a graduate of Lancaster High School, Class of 1969, and a devoted member of the Reynoldsburg Primitive Baptist Church. He started his career by following his true passion and became a Lineman with South Central Power, where he later became the Safety Director and worked there for nearly 20 years. He later became the Safety and Loss Control Consultant at Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, and then became the Director of Safety and Training at The Energy Cooperative in Newark, Ohio, where he retired from after another 20 years of leadership and service. John and Debbie also owned and operated the family business, Hoffman’s Flowers, in Baltimore, for more than 25 years.

He was a very giving man of his time and served for the good of others as a Thurston Councilman, a Thurston Fire Department volunteer firefighter, and a proud member of the Baltimore Lions Club. During his tenure as a Thurston Councilman, he drove the pursuit to bring a sewer system to the town of Thurston. John was a long-time adult leader in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, where he served as a WEBELOS Leader and Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 187. His most rewarding role was Chief Tarhe District Advancement Chair, where he was involved in the Eagle Scout Courts of Honor for youths from all around the Chief Tarhe District. John was a member of the Liberty Union Athletic Boosters, calling bingo and announcing LU high school basketball games; coach of the Thurston Dodgers Little League baseball team; and served on the Little League Football board.

John is survived by his wife of 50 years, Debbie (Jones) Hoffman; sons, John-Paul (Kristen Turner) Hoffman of Baltimore, Ohio; Jeff and Lisa Hoffman, of Lancaster, Ohio; niece, Olivea (Sis) Heather R. (Oldham) and Andrew Mayoka, of Clintonville, Ohio; and additional son who was an exchange student with the family in 1991, but has always remained a special part of the family, Ric Reinhardt of Sao Paulo, Brazil. His pride and joy was his grandson, Jonathan Tyler (J.T.) Hoffman, fondly called “Bubby” by his best friend, his “Big Papaw” of Rushville, Ohio; sister, Barb and Dave Haffey; sister-and-brother-in-law, Jennifer (Jones) and Larry Shover; brother-in-law, Glenn Bader; sisters-in-law, Carol Hoffman and Sharon Hoffman; brothers, Ray and Norma Hiles; Harold and Gerry Hiles; and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and special family friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his mother-in-law and-father-in-law, Paul and Pauline Jones; brothers, Dick Hoffman and Fred Hoffman; and sister, Donna Bader.

Pallbearers will be John-Paul Hoffman, Jeff Hoffman, J.T. Hoffman, Geb Bader, Mark Bader, and Ellis Jones. Honorary pallbearers will be Larry Shover, Olivea Oldham-Mayoka and Joe Sandbrink.

Services will be at 10:30 am, Friday, May 28, 2021, at JOHNSON-SMITH FUNERAL HOME CHAPEL 207 S. MAIN ST., BALTIMORE, OHIO 43105 with Elder Don Wheat officiating. A live broadcast of the funeral service will be hosted on Friday, May 28, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. on the Frank E. Smith Funeral Home and Crematory Facebook page.

Visitation for family and friends will be from 4:00-8:00 pm, Thursday, May 27, 2021. Interment will be at Union Evangelical Cemetery on Snyder Church Road NW, Baltimore, Ohio.

Special thanks to Dr. John Walter and also the care team and doctors at The Ohio State University, James Cancer Hospital, especially his Oncologist Dr. Jeff Vanduesen.

Please order flowers at www.hoffmansflowershop.com instead of the link below.

To send an online condolence, and sign the guest book, please visit www.funeralhome.com.