HOFF, Jr., Russell Stratton "Russ"
Age 96, slipped the bonds of Earth on Saturday, December 19, 2020. Born on May 19, 1924, in Schenectady, New York, Russ spent much of his childhood in Cincinnati where he graduated from Hughes High School in 1942. A proud World War II veteran, Russ
enlisted in the U.S. Naval Air Corps and served as an Aviation Machinist's Mate First Class on a PB4Y-2 maritime patrol bomber in the South Pacific. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal. On returning from the war, Russ met Lorlee Harvey on a blind date and they were married in August 1950. Following Russ's graduation from the University of Cincinnati as an Aeronautical Engineer, the couple moved to Dayton, where Russ took a job at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. He retired from Wright-Patt in 1985 after 40 years of federal service. Russ and Lorlee welcomed their son Ross in 1953 and moved into a newly-built home in the growing suburb of Kettering, where they lived for 66 years before moving in August 2020 to the 10 Wilmington Place Retirement Community in Dayton. An inveterate traveler, Russ
refurbished a 1929 Model A Ford and took an extensive solo driving tour of the northern U.S. and Canada in 1946. He later enjoyed long driving and camping trips with his family throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. After retirement, his travels expanded to worldwide destinations and frequent trips to Washington D.C. to visit with Ross, "second son" Alex, and many other friends, and to celebrate special occasions such as the dedication of the World War II Memorial. After
retirement, Russ enjoyed climbing and felling (and rarely
falling from) trees to feed the house's wood-burning stove. For several years, he and Lorlee operated a mail marketing operation for the Diet Workshop. Russ enjoyed working on his stamp collection and, in the evenings, watching movies with Lorlee surrounded by their "fabulous feline family" of adopted stray cats. An advocate of the power of science and
convinced that we are not alone in the universe, Russ was an avid supporter of space exploration and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Russ was preceded in death by his
parents Russell S. Hoff, Sr. and Pearl R. Harbison and by his
sister Jeannette Pressler. He is survived by Lorlee, his wife of 70 years; son Ross Harbison Hoff; brother Raymond Hoff; niece Susan (Don) Upcraft; nephew Frederick Treesh; and
numerous cousins and friends. Russ will be inurned at Arlington National Cemetery at a future date. In his memory, friends may make a donation to the Society for the Improvement of Conditions for Stray Animals (sicsa.org), the Planetary Society (planetary.org), the SETI Institute (seti.org), or other charity of their choice. Condolences may be sent to the family at
HOFF, Russell
