Halina (Helen) (Paczkowski) Hoffman, 72, of South Bend, IN, lost her 7-week battle to gall bladder cancer. Born on July 9, 1951, in Sonora, TX to Alexander and Leokadia (Szczecina) Paczkowski, both from Poland, the family quickly relocated to South Bend. Helen is survived by her husband of 54 years, David L. (Wilson) Hoffman; their two daughters Jennifer Sue (Jacob (Jake)) Parcell and Amy Lynn (Scott) Ruppe; their two grandsons Jacob Scott Ruppe and Nicholas David Ruppe all of South Bend; her youngest brother Michael E. (Sandy) Paczkowski of Bremen, IN; Sister-in-law Sandy Johns of Chiefland, FL; Brother-in-Law Bobby (Pat) Hoffman; Brother-in-Law Roy (Smoke) D., Jr. (Peggy) Wilson of Cedar Rapids, IA; Sister-in-Law Shelley Wilson of Cedar Rapids, IA; the Bella family who adopter her as part of their family 57 years ago; 14 nieces and nephews, and several great nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by both of her parents and her younger brother Anthony (Tony) J. Paczkowski. Helen graduated from St. Casimir’s Catholic Grade School and was a proud graduate of Washington High School’s Class of 1969. She was employed with Wooden Keg, Grant’s, the Morris Inn at Notre Dame, and Statewide Aluminum. She met the love of her life cruising at Bonnie Doon Drive-In on S. Michigan Street in 1967. Dave and Helen were married July 12, 1969, in St. Casimir’s Catholic Church, where she was a lifelong parishioner. Once she became a mother in 1973, she was a homemaker and a stay-at-home mother. Her favorite things to do included attending every sporting event and school function her daughters and grandsons were involved in as well as cooking for the family and having family dinners at her house. She was always their biggest cheerleader and always told her family how proud she was of all of them. Visitation will be on Thursday, May 9, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at St. Joseph Funeral Home, 824 S. Mayflower Road, South Bend with a rosary being prayed (time pending). A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, May 10, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. in St. Casimir’s Catholic Church, 1302 W. Dunham Street, South Bend. Entombment will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery, 24980 IN-2, South Bend. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to St. Casimir’s Catholic Church Annex Roof Fund, 1302 W. Dunham Street, South Bend and Center for Hospice Care, 501 Comfort Place, Mishawaka.

05/08/2024 JFC