Arthur Louis Hoffrage passed peacefully Friday, February 20,
2026 under hospice care at Paul Spring Assisted Living in Alexandria, VA, where
he had resided for several months. He was 86 years old.
Art was born April 17, 1939 in Jamaica, Queens, New York to
August & Elizabeth (Eisele) Hoffrage, and grew up in Franklin Square on
Long Island. The second of four children, his youth was marked by the typical
pastimes and hijinks which three young boys might practice, plus other fun with
their little sister. Although not officially a first-generation American, Art
was the product of very recent German immigrants and was raised within that
community on LI. His family moved further out on the Island, to East Patchogue,
where he graduated from Bellport HS in 1957. He proudly served in the Army
National Guard in artillery units. The first in his family to attend college,
at C.W. Post (now LIU), he had to leave a few months in to help with the family
business after a serious downturn in his father’s health.
That business, a Carvel Ice Cream store in Blue Point, was
started by his parents & grandparents in 1952, Carvel’s 66th franchise, and
work there plus subsequent ownership, was a big part of his youth and earlier
adulthood. He added two more stores along the south shore in the 1970s,
eventually going independent. Concurrently, he, his wife and mother opened a
gift shop (Ye Olde Salt Shoppes) on the north shore, in Port Jefferson.
Speaking of his wife - he married his first, Gloria (a
first-gen of Newfie heritage), in 1960. The first home they owned together was
in Yaphank, one of four houses (plus a commercial building) which Art built as
a licensed general contractor, and they truly set up house in another home he
built, in Blue Point, several years later when they were expecting a child.
Fatherhood was a natural fit for Art; he was thrilled at the
birth of their daughter, Tracy, in 1968, and pretty sure every customer at the
Carvel knew a baby was coming (he was a talker!); he put a huge banner up in
the store’s high front window proclaiming “IT’S A GIRL!” for all to see, after
she was born.
The time came for the family to seek a slower pace of life,
so he, Gloria & Tracy escaped the “rat race” on LI by moving in 1982 to
Floyd, VA - a county with only one traffic light, along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Early on, and quite unexpectedly, they bought a flower shop in town and added
gifts to the shop’s offerings. Not long thereafter, Gloria was diagnosed with
breast cancer, and its recurrence, to which she succumbed in 1985.
Art moved up to Northern VA after a few years, keeping the
Floyd property to enjoy when the busyness of NoVA required escape. He held
various jobs in sales, since that combined his gregarious nature with driving,
which he LOVED to do, and eventually settled back down into working as a
mortgage broker. Along the way, he met the second love of his life, Shirley
Maddox, and they married in 1990, sharing 34 years together, living first in a
condo in Annandale, then moving to a condo at Potomac Green in Ashburn. They
were active members of both communities, and many lasting friendships were made
at each.
Art was a lifelong Christian; he enjoyed being part of a
number faith communities at various times and places in his life. He was in
Demolay and was a Mason, primarily active in his years in NY. He belonged to
many local business and civic organizations throughout his years and was always
looking for ways to improve the places in which he lived. His hobbies included
downhill skiing, investment clubs, flying (he had his private pilot’s license),
handyman projects, music (he was a baritone in glee club and played piano),
travel and getting a good deal or bargain on anything! He truly never met a
stranger…he struck up conversations with everyone, and was practically a
missionary of personal finance, teaching younger people the magic of early
investments for the future.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Ernest
and August Hoffrage; and wives, Gloria and Shirley. Survivors include his
daughter, Tracy Batchelor and her husband, Kevin; granddaughter, Hadley
Batchelor; sister, Elizabeth Kessner; cousins, Doreen Feldhouse and Jules
Reese; sisters-in-law, Betty Mick and Emma Cooper; plus many nieces and
nephews, and a stepson, David Maddox.
Special thanks to the staff of Capital Caring hospice and
Paul Spring for the supportive environment they provided to him in recent
months.
A visitation will be held on Friday, February 27, 2026 at
12:00 PM with a service to immediately follow at 1:00 PM at Colonial Funeral
Home of Leesburg.
Graveside services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday,
March 5, 2026 in the Jacksonville Cemetery, Floyd, VA.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to several
charities which Art supported:
Shriners
Hospitals for Children
The
Johns Hopkins Hospital
Inova
Health System Foundation
