With 14 critically acclaimed novels and four short-story collections to his credit, author Henry William Hoffman should have been a literary giant, his fans said, but he never found mass-market fame.
"Bill Hoffman was probably Virginia's least-known best writer -- an author recognized by his peers for his tremendous talent -- who has not received the public recognition his writing deserved," said Sandra G. Treadway, the librarian of Virginia. "He gave a number of well-received book talks at the library. He captured beautifully the sense of place found in rural areas and created complex, believable characters."
Mr. Hoffman, a longtime resident of Charlotte Court House, died Saturday. He was 84.
He was a simple character himself, said John Brinkley, a retired Hampden-Sydney College historian who took English in a class Mr. Hoffman taught in the late 1950s.
"He was a very engaging teacher," Brinkley said. "He was a thoroughly honest man, always sharp straight. He didn't tolerate any attempts at muddying the waters, and that applied to everything."
Brinkley said Mr. Hoffman could be blunt with his students, but the intent was always pure. "He wanted those boys to be the best," he said.
The lack of celebrity surprised those who knew Mr. Hoffman at Hampden-Sydney, Brinkley said. "That always puzzled everybody who knew him," he said. "He had a fine career, but he never had a great commercial success."
Survivors include his wife, Alice Sue Richardson Hoffman; two daughters, Ruth Beckley Hoffman of Richmond and Margaret Kay Huffman of Greensboro, N.C.; a sister, Janet Murphy of Concord, N.C.; and three grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held today, Wednesday, at 2 p.m. at Village Presbyterian Church in Charlotte Court House.
Contact Zachary Reid at (804) 775-8179 or zreid@timesdispatch.com.
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