Clarence William "Pete" Hoffman

Clarence W. Hoffman Jr., age 90, entered into eternal peace on July 20, 2014, at 8:25PM. He was surrounded by his loving wife of 65 years and all four of their children.

Clarence William "Pete" Hoffman Jr. was born November 11, 1923 to Claudia West and C.W. Hoffman Sr of Sale Creek Tennessee; the youngest of two children.

Pete graduated from Sale Creek high school in 1942. He attended Colorado School of Mines in Colorado Springs, CO then traveled with the army to Ft. Worth, TX. While he was in the army his Dad made a down payment on a ranch in North Powder, OR. Pete went to Oregon to learn the cattle ranching trade.

In December of 1948, Pete eloped with the sweetheart he had briefly left behind in Tennessee, Dorothy Mae Downey. They built a life and family of their own on the Circle Dot Ranch, outside the small town of North Powder, Oregon. Pete named the ranch as a tribute to his bride, Dot, and the endless love that they knew was theirs. Pete and Dottie had four children come along as they were raising cattle and sheep and harvesting hay and wheat from the fields. Pete was able to escape from the endless ranch work from time to time and take to skies in a rental aircraft as he learned to fly. Pete soloed in a Piper Cadet in 1951. He acquired his Private Pilot license that year and later acquired a Cessna 172. Pete navigated several times out of state to take his son Pat to an orthodontist in Boise, ID but Pete loved to share the joy of flight with anyone willing to try something new. He inspired at least his oldest daughter Cindy to become a pilot too. Pete worked the Circle Dot Ranch for 19 years.

They moved their family of six to British Columbia, in 1964, to begin a new venture with a much larger, 2200 acre ranching operation, outside of Williams Lake, on the cliffs of the Frazier River.

It was in Canada that the Springfield Ranch cattle business flourished. Canadian beef markets consistently rated the Springfield Ranch product, at the top. His unique loose hay farming method with re-engineered tractors and school bus chassis brought a lot of attention to passersby. Pete employed his children and his foreman's children to help on the equipment; they loved the fast pace work.
Pete also engineered a risky project that was needed to bring water from Deep Creek to the upper ranch hay fields. A cement lined ditch was successfully constructed, after many failed attempts, along steep terrain to bring water to triple his crops.

When Pete's father became ill, in La Grande, OR in 1968, Pete and family left Canada, Ron Patterson, his partner was left to manage the ranch. Pete and Dottie bought a large family home at the top of 3rd Street. It was the perfect setting for the family and the wildlife that came to it, for the next 40 years. Pete added a swimming pool, graded, lined and stocked a pond for fishing. He built a dock to provide overhead aeration and fishing opportunities for anglers of all sizes. Pete added a large unattached 2-car garage with full shop in the front. He also built a greenhouse for Dottie.


Pete helped his Dad with running parts for Rhode Valley Lumber Company until he retired in 1975.
Before the ranch sold in 1984, Pete and Dottie were able to travel to many countries, see the world and vacation in Florida for many winters. In retirement, Pete golfed almost every day and brought Dottie along on all golf tournaments. Pete also needed her support as he traveled to enjoy shooting trap and competing for trophies. Dottie accompanied Pete on all his sporting adventures except deep sea fishing.
For that one, "he was on his own".

Pete took up residence near his daughter, Cindy and her family, in Richland, at Riverton Retirement & Assisted Living when Dottie was airlifted to Richland in July 2010. Their level of care did not allow them to return to their home in Oregon but they visited their cabin on the 4th of July and had many family holiday dinners at Riverton.

Pete and Dottie were always willing to take a chance to make investments for their future, and their children's future. They built seven duplexes and finished an eighth, near their home, for rental income in the late 70's. They were owners of Eagle Freightliner in La Grande and Hermiston. Pete was consulted on affairs of the trucking and rental business until he passed.

Pete is preceded in death by his parents.

Pete is survived by his wife, sister Robbie Dean Waller and nephew Steve Waller; four children, C.W. "Pat" III and his wife Mary of La Grande, OR, Cindy Taylor of Richland, WA, Sherry Hoffman, of Boca Raton, FL, Lorrie Smith and husband Steve of Duvall, WA; five grandchildren, Aurora Snively, Clarence Hoffman IV, Kelly Rae, Kristine Peterson and Lindsey Smith; six great grandchildren, Roger and Alice Snively, Jackson and Hudson Rae, and Nina and Penny Cavanah.
Services will be held at the La Grande Church of the Nazarene, 109 18th St. in La Grande on Monday July 28th. Relatives and friends are welcome at the 11:00 service with catered Fellowship Hall reception to follow. Burial with Daniels-Knopp Funeral,Cremation & Life Celebration Center will be held in private.

Memorial gifts may be made to The Shriner's Hospital for Children in Portland, OR.

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