George Hoferek

George Hoferek passed away peacefully on February 5, 2016 of pneumonia after a long life filled with the animals, family, and good Polish food he loved. Always a proud New Jerseyan, George was born on July 20, 1937 in Newark, N.J.He attended Bloomfield's public schools, graduating in 1955. He likely knew almost everyone in town by name and was always welcome as one of its dedicated citizens. Often on weekends, he and his mother drove to the Jersey Shore that they loved, visiting almost every orchard or produce stand along the way. This mountain of a man with cheerful blue eyes also traveled to visit his sisters whenever he could.George held several jobs during his working years. He worked as a toll collector on the Garden State Parkway (which he referred to as "That goldmine!") and later worked in the mail room at Blue Cross Blue Shield in Newark. He was everyone's friend at Blue Cross, the guy with whom people shared secrets and snacks. George had lots of interests. He was a Boy Scout Master and counted several of Bloomfield's lifelong citizens as members of his troop. Hiking and camping made for some wonderful memories that he shared with almost everyone. To his last days, George had a generous heart that any Boy Scout would be proud of. Whatever he had, he shared, and helped anyone he could.Even while working fulltime, George was dogged in pursuing his education. He proudly attended Rutgers at the Newark campus at night, studying political science. He always loved history and could recount points in New Jersey history with daunting detail. He reveled in talking with other students, and traded ideas on current events, a habit he maintained throughout his life. After moving to Maryland, he continued to take classes at Montgomery College. Even as he grew weaker with age, reading books and newspapers brought him satisfaction.George's love of animals knew no limits. He shared his life with furry friends Stinky the cat, and dogs Blackie, Roscoe, Milo, Ashley, and Charles. A simple "woof" brought golden smiles, and nothing made him happier than snuggling and playing with his "little characters" who adored him in return. He laughed it off when Stinky shredded his favorite sweater because, well, she was happy tearing it up. Simply watching deer and squirrels in the park made him happy.In 2010, George left his beloved neighbors Felicia, Chrissy, and Irene , and moved to Montgomery County, MD to be closer to his sister, Mary (Judy to the rest of the family). He made many friends at his senior apartment home, and loved exploring the parks, library, shows, and restaurants in the area. After a few years, he moved to an assisted living apartment in Silver Spring, and quickly became a regular fixture in their trips to Charlestown racing (for the buffet, of course), holiday lights, restaurants, and shopping. As always, he made even more friends to remember his gentle, good-natured company.George is predeceased by his parents, George and Jessie Hoferek, his aunts Lottie Lelek (Ted), Helen (Leonard) Tyminski, and Stella (Louis) Wary. He leaves to cherish his memory his sisters Frances Johnson of Arlington, MA and Mary Hoferek (Susan Wilson) of Gaithersburg, MD, his in-laws David (Becky) Johnson, and his dear nieces Carolyn Johnson (Francis Flynn) and Catherine Johnson (Claudio DiBacco). George also leaves his Bloomfield, NJ and Maryland friends, and the staff at Edwards House and Asbury Methodist Home who gave him such excellent care and affection during his last months. Visitation will be held on Friday, February 12th from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Levandoski-Grillo Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 44 Bay Ave., Bloomfield, NJ. Relatives and Friends are invited to attend the funeral on Saturday, February 13th at 9:00 a.m. from the Funeral Home, thence to St. Valentine Church at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Glendale Cemetery, Bloomfield.Donations to the Bloomfield Animal Shelter, 61 Bukowski Pl., Bloomfield, NJ 07003 in George's name, would be greatly appreciated. Visitation FEB 12. 04:00 PM - 08:00 PM Levandoski-Grillo Funeral Home & Cremation Service 44 Bay Avenue Bloomfield, NJ, US, 07003 njgfd581@yahoo.com http://www.levandoskigrillo.com Funeral Mass FEB 13. 10:00 AM St. Valentine Church 125 N. Spring Street Bloomfield, NJ, US, 07003 Graveside Service FEB 13. 11:00 AM Glendale Cemetery 28 Hoover Avenue Bloomfield, NJ, US