Barbara Hoffman

Sybil Barbara (Tooke) Hoffman, 82, of Bartlesville, passed away Thursday afternoon at the Journey Home of Bartlesville, in the presence of her three loving daughters.

Barbara was born May 2, 1937 in Tulsa, Oklahoma to James and Sybil (Smith) Tooke.  Her parents moved to Bartlesville, where her father was employed by Phillips Petroleum R&D department.  Barbara came home from the hospital in a wicker clothes basket on the back seat of a 1937 Ford to a little rent house on South Osage.

Barbara received her education in the Bartlesville schools and played string bass in the Bartlesville Symphony.  In 1955, she attended Oklahoma A&M and enrolled in Home Economics.  She chose a double major in family relations and child development, as well as elementary education.  A&M became Oklahoma State University after Barbara’s sophomore year, where she was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha.  Upon graduation in 1959, she took a summer job at Phillips, where she met a young man named Alfred A. Hoffman, Jr.

Soon thereafter, the couple became engaged and were married on Thanksgiving and honeymooned in New Orleans.  The following year their first child, Kristina, was born and the Hoffmans were transferred to Borger, Texas.  While in Borger, their second child, Heidi, was born.  The Hoffman family transferred back to Bartlesville and in 1965, to Pasadena, Texas, where Alfred was liaison for R&D.  They returned to Bartlesville in 1967 and in 1968, a third daughter, Sarah, was born.  After 14 years of caring for her family and taking courses to renew her teacher’s certificate, Barbara began teaching kindergarten in the Dewey School System; a position she held for 13 years.  Alfred retired from Phillips in 1985 and Barbara from teaching in 1987.  Since retiring, she has been active in her church choir and bell choir.  Her passion was quilt-making, to which she dedicated one room in her home for just that purpose. She was an active member of the Jubilee Quilters Guild for many years.

Barbara is survived by her three daughters, Kristina Bowman and her husband, Mark of Anchorage, Alaska, Heidi Whitman and her husband, Lawrence of Little Rock, Arkansas and Sarah Hoffman of Bartlesville; four grandchildren, Brett Bowman of Austin, Texas, Emilie Bowman of Tucson, Arizona, Joshua Whitman and his wife, Melissa of Monticello, Illinois and David Whitman of Little Rock; five nieces & nephews, Jim Herndon and wife, Erin of Terrell, Texas, Mike Herndon and wife, Carter of Charlotte, North Carolina, Laura Ivanov and husband, George of Lake Forest, California, Mechele Bowen-Slinde and husband, Phil of Ranchos De Taos, New Mexico and Troy Bowen of Ventura, California and by her former brother-in-law, Lee Herndon and his wife, Anne of Annapolis, Maryland. Barbara was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Alfred and by a sister, Lisbeth Herndon.

Visitation will be Saturday, 9am-6pm and Sunday, 1 – 8pm at Arnold Moore & Neekamp Funeral Home, with family receiving guests from 6-8 pm on Sunday.  Funeral services will be 11 a.m., Monday, September 9, 2019 at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Ray Hickman, officiating.  Interment will be in Bartlesville Memorial Park Cemetery, under the direction of Arnold Moore & Neekamp Funeral Home.  Online condolences may be left at www.honoringmemories.com. Memorial contributions may be made to Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church or the charity of your choice.