Carl Helmut Hofinga, age 87, of Buena Vista, Colorado, died peacefully in his sleep on Friday, May 20, 2022, at Columbine Manor Care Center in Salida, Colorado, after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.
Carl was born October 6, 1934, in Brooklyn, New York, to Hans and Ruth (Lotz) Hofinga. He was raised largely in Caldwell, New Jersey. His fondest boyhood memories consisted especially of attending Christian summer camps in upstate New York, usually in succession, for the better part of the summer. On April 4, 1948, Carl was united with Jesus Christ in his death and resurrection by way of Holy Baptism at First Baptist Church of Caldwell. He graduated from Grover Cleveland High School in Caldwell in 1953. His quest for an undergraduate degree involved taking classes at several colleges, but he received his degree from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana.
In 1958, Carl moved to Denver, Colorado, to study at the Conservative Baptist Seminary of Denver. He only took classes there for one year, but he was captivated by the Rocky Mountains and remained a resident of Colorado for the rest of his life. Soon after moving to Denver, he met the love of his life, Jana Lee Irvine at church, and they were married on August 20, 1960. To this union were born two boys, Mark and Phillip. Carl and Jana were married for 52 years.
Carl worked as a bookkeeper and accountant his entire career, working for a number of companies and organizations throughout the Denver area. He ever remained the unrelenting accountant to the end of his days here on earth, spending the last years of his life volunteering as an accountant for Chaffee County Habitat for Humanity in Buena Vista, Colorado, the town to which he and Jana retired.
An active member of several churches over his lifetime, Carl faithfully led his family to church every Sunday. He was happy to serve any way his gifts could be of use, usually as the treasurer or financial secretary. Most recently he was happy to serve as an usher at Valley Fellowship in Buena Vista.
Carl and Jana shared a love of camping and for many years enjoyed traveling to various places around the country pulling a camping trailer. As much as they enjoyed visiting many interesting places, there was little they enjoyed more than simply being in the mountains of Colorado, where Carl indulged his most enduring hobby, photography. Their love of the mountains brought Carl and Jana to Buena Vista, Colorado, in 2002. Carl loved living in the shadow of Mount Princeton. In his later years, he continued to enjoy his evening walks looking for deer and interacting with the neighbors and the neighborhood children. Carl also enjoyed listening to classical music and traditional hymns and receiving visits from his grandsons.
Carl is survived by his son, Phillip, daughter-in-law, Katherine, his three grandsons, Justin, Adam, and Titus, and one sister-in-law, Margaret Hofinga. He is preceded in death by his son, Mark, his wife Jana, his brother, Peter, sisters Ruthann Langrell and Marilyn Green, and brothers-in-law Doyne Langrell and Ed Green.
Services will be held on Thursday, May 26, at Valley Fellowship Church in Buena Vista, Colorado, with the Reverend Brett Crimmel presiding. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. and the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. Burial will take place at Littleton Cemetery on June 1, 2022, at 1:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Chaffee County Habitat for Humanity.
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