Obituaries

Madison- Edith Mary Hoffman, age 92, passed away on Thursday, April 3, 2025. Edie was born April 2, 1933, to Hilda (Woollen) Caswell and Philip Ernest Caswell in Stamford, CT. She attended Cloonan Junior High School and Stamford High School. She graduated in 1951 from Middlebury Union High School in Middlebury, Vermont.

After graduation, Edie attended LPN school in Bennington, VT followed by Henry W. Bishop 3rd Memorial School of Nursing in Pittsfield, MA where she earned her RN in 1958. It was in Pittsfield, on a blind date, that a classmate introduced Edie to her future husband, Vincent Hoffman.

They married on July 12, 1958, and moved to Madison, where they raised their daughters. Edie continued her career as an RN, working at St. Mary’s Hospital, Madison General Hospital and Madison Convalescent Center. She spent the final 19 years of her career at Central Wisconsin Center as the RN night supervisor in the hospital, where her genuine concern for the physical and emotional needs of critically ill patients was especially helpful and reassuring to parents. Edie took great pride in her career as a nurse and continued to renew her nursing license long after retirement. As a result, Edie received letters and calls from military recruiters anxious to recruit their next nurse. This prompted many conversations about heading to the recruiting office!

Edie’s commitment to giving back didn’t end with her career. A long-time member of St. Dennis Parish and St. Albert the Great Catholic Church, she baked homemade pies each year for the St. Dennis Festival and helped guide girls in developing their leadership skills as a Girl Scout Troop Leader for many years.

Edie enjoyed many hobbies, including knitting, collecting cookbooks, Hummels and teacups. A voracious reader, she enjoyed hunting down a good mystery as much as reading one.

If you didn’t run into Edie at the local yarn shop adding to her extensive yarn collection, you might have seen her on the dance floor square dancing with her favorite partner, Vince. Members of the Diamond Squares of Deforest and Boots and Slippers of Madison for over 20 years, they “do-si-doed” their way around the country attending dance conventions, including the 1981 record setting World’s Largest Square Dance in Seattle.

Edie and Vince’s sense of adventure led them to many places outside of the United States. Two of her more memorable experiences include traveling across the Arctic Circle where she saw the sun at midnight and swimming with snakes in the Amazon at Angel Falls.

Edie is survived by her children, Karen Hoffman (Vicki Shaffer), Laura Heried (Dean Quast) and Irene (Brian) Sanderson; grandchildren, Abbie Marie Hill (Sebastian Blair), Jennifer (Tommy) Agens, Dakota Heried, Austin (Katie) Heried, Corey, Spencer and Greta Sanderson; and great granddaughter, Cali Agens. She was preceded in death by her parents; loving husband of 59 years, Vince; infant daughter, Janet and brother, Richard Caswell.

In memory of Edie, please consider making a donation to the UW Foundation School of Nursing (SoN) Annual Fund. Donations can be made online or can be sent to the UW Foundation in memory of Edith Hoffman and mailed to U.S. Bank Lockbox, Box 78807, Milwaukee, WI, 53278. In the memo section of the check, please list SoN Annual Fund – 112641280.

The family wishes to extend heartfelt thanks to Robert Greytak, DPM and Kayla Lackey, CMA of SSM Health Podiatry, for their exceptional care. In addition, the family thanks the staff at Oakwood Village Prairie Ridge Campus, especially Ann Simon, RN and Renea Pingle, MSW for their compassionate care and unwavering support. A special thank you to Hospice for providing support to Edie and her family during her final weeks.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 11:30 A.M. on Friday, April 11, 2025, at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church, 2420 Saint Albert The Great Dr, Sun Prairie, WI. Visitation will be held from 10:30 A.M. until the time of service. Interment will be at Resurrection Cemetery in Madison, WI.

To view and sign this guestbook, please visit: www.ryanfuneralservice.com.

Ryan Funeral Home & Cremation Services

2418 N Sherman Ave

608-249-8257