Dr. Frank Hoffman

Dr. Frank Hoffman, 98, died of natural causes at home on April 21.



Born in Savannah on February 23, 1922 to Rose Garfinkel Hoffman and Hymie Hoffman, Dr. Hoffman is survived by his beloved wife of 70 years, Thelma Milgrom Hoffman, sister Gert Hackman, daughter Barbara Hoffman and her husband Paul Shapiro, son Fred Hoffman, granddaughters Emily Shapiro and Sarah Shapiro, nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his parents, Chaim (Hymie) Hoffman and Rose Garfinkel Hoffman, sister Minnie Charnovitz, and brother Philip Hoffman.



After graduating from Savannah High School in 1939, Dr. Hoffman was accepted into a rigorous accelerated undergraduate and medical training program at the University of Georgia. He graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in 1945 and completed his internship on Staten Island as an Army Captain treating returning veterans. During that time, he took a brief vacation to the Catskills, where he and Thelma first met and fell in love. In 1949, they married in Brooklyn after Dr. Hoffman finished his graduate medical education at the University of Pennsylvania. After completing his residency at New York-Presbyterian, Cornell University Hospital in New York City, Dr. Hoffman returned to Savannah to open his first office on Bull Street.



Over fifty years in his offices in Medical Arts and Georgia Ear Institute, Dr. Hoffman provided ear, nose, and throat care to generations of Savannahians. He performed ear, nose, and throat surgery, including facial plastic surgery, to help restore the hearing, breathing, and appearance of his patients. Throughout his career, he traveled the United States to learn from the finest physicians and then shared those advanced skills to train other physicians.



With his professionalism and kindness, Dr. Hoffman led the Savannah medical community. He was one of the first local physicians to integrate his office, prohibit smoking, and provide retirement plans for his staff.



For decades, Dr. Hoffman was a member of the Workmen's Circle Credit Union Board of Directors, where he chaired the Loan Committee. He was a member of Congregation Mickve Israel and the Jewish Educational Alliance. A life-long traveler, Dr. Hoffman most enjoyed taking long cruises with Thelma to see the world and enjoy the quiet of the open seas. Always interested in business and political news, he routinely followed the stock market with great skill. He will be deeply missed as the beloved patriarch of the family who adored him.



With concern for the safety and health of our family and friends, a memorial service will be held at a later date.



A small family funeral service was held at 11 o'clock Thursday morning, April 23, 2020, at the graveside, Bonaventure Cemetery, conducted by Rabbi Robert W. Haas.



Contributions are welcomed in Dr. Hoffman's memory to the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, 8455 Colesville Road, Suite 930, Silver Spring, MD 20910, www.canceradvocacy.org or to the charity of your choice.