A Concurrent Resolution s14

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 10 11 TO RECOGNIZE AND COMMEND MR. GILBERT A. 12 HOFFMAN, JR., OF ORANGEBURG COUNTY, ON THE 13 OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE 14 ORANGEBURG COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND 15 REGISTRATION. 16 17 Whereas, Mr. Gilbert A. Hoffman, Jr., of Orangeburg County, has 18 served as a member of the Orangeburg County Board of Elections 19 and Registration with great distinction since 1990; and 20 21 Whereas, Mr. Hoffman’s remarkable life began on September 6, 22 1921, when he was born at his family home on Belleview Road in 23 Orangeburg, becoming the only son of the late Gilbert and 24 Gertrude Hoffman; and 25 26 Whereas, Gilbert later became a cadet at The Citadel, and during 27 his senior year a fortuitous appendicitis attack led to his emergency 28 hospitalization at the old Tri-County Hospital in Orangeburg. 29 While hospitalized, he met a beautiful nursing student from 30 Windsor, South Carolina, named Eleanor Baggott. The couple 31 courted through Gilbert’s graduation from The Citadel in 1942, 32 and planned to marry after he returned from service in World War 33 II, but, on an impulse, tied the knot on August 17, 1942. The 34 impromptu service took place at the only available church in the 35 area, even though it was a church neither of them attended. Until 36 Eleanor’s death in January 2006, the Hoffmans enjoyed a loving, 37 sixty-three year marriage that produced a daughter, Trudy 38 Draughn, grandchildren, Jim Draughn and Eleanor Draughn, and 39 great-grandchildren; and 40 41 Whereas, Mr. Hoffman graduated from The Citadel in the spring 42 of 1942 with a future governor and United States Senator named

1 [803] 1 1 Ernest F. “Fritz” Hollings, and served his country in World War II 2 as part of the Fifty-First Division stationed in St. Nazaire, France. 3 Although approximately half of his classmates from The Citadel 4 died while fighting for their country, Mr. Hoffman returned home 5 following the war and became a member of the South Carolina 6 National Guard, eventually retiring as a colonel; and 7 8 Whereas, upon returning from serving overseas in World War II, 9 Mr. Hoffman rejected his father’s lucrative offer to become a 10 partner in the family liquor store business and answered a calling 11 to become a teacher, later earning a master’s degree from the 12 University of North Carolina. He began his career in education as 13 an instructor at Carlisle Military School in Bamberg County, later 14 teaching briefly in Greenwood before settling in Walterboro, 15 where he served as an elementary school principal and Eleanor 16 worked as a school nurse. After fourteen years in Walterboro, the 17 family returned to Orangeburg and Gilbert served tenures at his 18 alma mater, Ellis Avenue School, Sheridan Elementary School, 19 and Marshall Elementary School; and 20 21 Whereas, in addition to being a loyal family man, soldier, and 22 educator, Gilbert always found time to serve God, and remains a 23 faithful member of the First Baptist Church in Orangeburg; and 24 25 Whereas, in 1990, Mr. Hoffman joined what eventually became 26 the Orangeburg County Board of Elections and Registration and 27 brought a new energy and a “can do” attitude to the elections 28 process. During his seventeen year-four month tenure, Mr. 29 Hoffman became certified as a commissioner through the South 30 Carolina Election Commission and served as an active member of 31 the South Carolina Association of Registration and Election 32 Officials, attending the association’s annual conference faithfully 33 until Mrs. Hoffman’s health no longer permitted them to travel; 34 and 35 36 Whereas, the members of the General Assembly, by this 37 resolution, would like to publicly recognize and thank him for his 38 lifelong dedication and devotion to his family, his community, his 39 schools, his nation, The Citadel, and especially the Orangeburg 40 County Board of Elections and Registration that he has so ably 41 served. Now, therefore, 42

1 [803] 2 1 Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives 2 concurring: 3 4 That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this 5 resolution, recognize and commend Mr. Gilbert A. Hoffman, Jr., 6 of Orangeburg County, for his remarkable life and on the occasion 7 of his retirement from the Orangeburg County Election 8 Commission. 9 10 Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to 11 Mr. Gilbert A. Hoffman, Jr. 12 ----XX---- 13

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