Harold Ellis Hoffman

Harold Ellis Hoffman died peacefully on April 14, 2020 at his New Berlin home, at the age of 97. He was born in Darlington, Wisconsin on January 22, 1923.

Harold was valedictorian of his class at Hartland High School. After attending his Freshman year at Carroll College, he served in the U.S. Army as a medic during World War II and was also stationed in Germany during part of the Occupation. He returned to the US in 1946 and completed his B.S. in Mathematics in two final years at Carroll College. In 1950, he married Patricia Smith, and then earned his master’s degree in education at the University of Wisconsin, while his wife finished her BS degree there. Harold taught high school, primarily Mathematics, for the next 32 years, with 17 of those years at Greenfield High School. He also coached football and basketball at several of the schools where he taught.

Harold loved sports. In high school, he played football, basketball, and baseball. He caddied at Lakeside Golf Course and learned to play golf, as well. It was during that time that he formed his dream of designing and building his own golf course.

After retiring from his teaching career at age 62, Harold at last had the opportunity to fulfill his lifelong dream, when he was able to buy the land he had been admiring for many years. Following several years of planning and hard work with his wife Pat, they opened Songbird Hills Golf Club in the summer of 1992. During the rest of his life, Hal derived much pleasure from playing his golf course and sharing it with others. He also continued to look for the many songbirds which gave the course its name.

Harold is preceded in death by his beloved wife of 62 years, Patricia Smith Hoffman. He is survived by his daughter Tammara Wolfgram, granddaughters Jennifer Wolfgram, Gwendolyn (Scott) Tracy and Megan (Lucas) Nolting. He is further survived by his great-grandchildren
Breanna Jambretz, Brian Jambretz, Kieran Tracy, Arianna Tracy, and Cyrillia Nolting, nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.

Family and friends are invited to share in a Celebration of Harold's Life, in the pavilion at Songbird Hills on September 27th beginning at 1:00 PM and concluding with A Time of Remembrance at 3:00 PM.