Dorothy "Joan" Hoffman (nee Markwitz), Born 1939, Died 2026

In the early morning hours of October 29, 2026, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, after a long illness, Dorothy "Joan" Hoffman (nee Markwitz) passed away peacefully in her sleep at the Anew Assisted Living facility in Rosedale. She was 87.

Joan lived her entire 57-year married life on Decker Avenue in the East Baltimore neighborhood of Canton where she raised a family and gained a reputation tending to neighbors. She was a devout member of the United Evangelical Church of Christ (formerly known as Batz's Church) founded by German immigrants on the corner of South East Avenue and Dillon Street in Canton. Joan graduated from Patterson High School in 1958. After starting a family, she worked as a hostess for Matthew's Funeral Home on Eastern Avenue in Highlandtown, and the Lilly and Zeiler Funeral Home on Wolfe Street in Fells Point.

Joan loved celebrating holidays with her family, Saturday shopping strolling "the Avenue" in Highlandtown, telling stories about her father who was an air raid warden in Canton during WWII, and teaching her children and grandchildren the finer points of German recipes and cooking. Like many women of her era, she was adamant about keeping a clean house and visited her hairdresser for weekly upkeep of her signature bouffant. On January 31st, 2009, to the day, she celebrated 50 years of loving marriage to her husband William F. Hoffman, an East Baltimore native.

"My mom was everyone's mom," recalls son Bill Hoffman. "She always made sure I had hot lunches, meatball subs or Sloppy Joes. She brought thermos bottles to me when I was in school. She even brought lunches to my friends who thought she was the best cook. Mom also taught me the importance of having a mother and wife who sacrificed and stayed home to take care of their of their families."

"We'd go shopping every Saturday," reminisces daughter Lori Rusnak. "My mom was old school. She was known for her frugality. She could turn a dollar into ten in no time. I can't tell you how many times she saved me, gave me that place of emotional refuge while I navigated my way through life."

"She was our 'angel with a wooden spoon,'" adds granddaughter Sarah Idzi affectionately. "As kids we challenged her, but she always turned it into a life lesson we learned from. She was special and we'll never forget her."

Joan is predeceased by her parents Julia Saddler and Raymond Markwitz, and her second son David who died in early infancy. She is survived by her son Bill Hoffman (wife Cheryl), daughter Lori Rusnak (husband Andrew), granddaughters Sarah Idzi (Zach Simpson) and Shirley Hoffman, grandsons Chuck Hoffman, John Pijanowski (fiancé Stephanie Forgrave), and Jake Rusnak, and great grandchildren Zander Hoffman (Lauren Rose), and Layla and Ozzy Idzi.

Joan will be laid out at Connelly Funeral Home in Dundalk, 7110 Sollers Point Road, Sunday November 1, 2026 from 11:00 am- 3:00 pm.

Interment will be private at Oak Lawn Cemetery on Eastern Avenue next to her husband Bill. In lieu of flowers, please donate online to the United Evangelical Church of Christ in Canton: www.unitedevangelical.org