Mary Diana
Hoffmaster, 86, passed away on December 1, 2019 at Edenbrook Nursing Home.
Diana was born on December 29, 1932 in Madison, Wisconsin.

She was raised in
a small apartment by two strong women: her mother, Genevieve and her
grandmother. Diana attended Edgewood high school and graduated from Edgewood
College in 1954. Due to her diminutive stature, her dreams of Olympic pole
vaulting and performing in the Bolshoi ballet proved unattainable. Fortunately,
she settled on teaching and in 1954 moved to Fond du Lac and started what would
become a 40-year career teaching kindergarten at Waters Elementary School,
where her size was perfect for the children that she loved.

In 1957 she met
Robert Hoffmaster, a tall, handsome lug, a gentleman and a raconteur of the
highest order. It was love at first sight and they were married in 1958. In
1962 they were blessed with their first son, Robert, Jr. and in 1964 with their
second son, John. In her 40 years of teaching, Diana touched thousands of
lives. While in constant denial of her local celebrity status, a simple trip to
the grocery store could elicit four generations of thankful well-wishers.

Diana goes into
the great beyond content in the knowledge that her two boys are forever happy
in the arms of their beautiful wives, Katie and Kimberly Hoffmaster. Diana was
preceded in death by her loving husband, Robert, in 1991, her mother and her
“Granny.”

The family would
like to thank the kind staff at Edenbrook, Visiting Angels and Heartland Hospice
for their care and compassion during Diana’s final days. The family would also
like to thank Susan Schrader for her personal and professional support through
trying times.

To respect
Diana’s wishes, there will be no services held. She will be laid to rest in Rienzi
Cemetery with her beloved husband.

Diana had a
fierce passion for education and art. Therefore in lieu of flowers, the family
will be using any memorials to assist young artists who may not have the
funding to participate in programs offered by the Thelma Sadoff Center for the
Arts.