William "Willie" R. Hoffman

William “Willie” Rice Hoffman, 57, of Sparta, passed away on Wednesday, July 31, 2019, at Mayo Clinic Health System, Sparta. He was born October 10, 1961 to Harold and Patricia (Rice) Hoffman, in Sparta.

Willie grew up in Sparta and graduated from Sparta High School with the class of 1980. He attended college at UW-Eau Claire obtaining a BA in Journalism. Willie married Suzanne Romanoski on May 23, 1992 in Burnsville, MN. He worked at Marriott Hotels in various cities including: Scottsdale, AZ, Vail, CO, Nashville, TN, Minneapolis, MN and lastly working as General Manager in Bloomington, MN. In July of 2008, he returned to Sparta and began working as General Manager at Sparta-Tomah Broadcasting (WCOW) in Sparta. 

Willie was very involved with the Sparta Area Chamber of Commerce, Mayo Clinic Health  System Hospital Foundation – Sparta Campus and was on the Board of Directors for 1st CCU of Sparta since 2015. He enjoyed golf, downhill skiing, hunting, cooking, the Green Bay Packers, was a wine connoisseur, and had a passion for music and cooking. Above all, Willie loved spending time with his family and supporting his children in their extracurricular activities. 

Willie is survived by his loving wife, Suzanne; three children, Matthew Hoffman; Natalie Hoffman (special friend, Logan Degenhardt); and Shannon Hoffman, all of Sparta; two siblings, Harold (Barbara) Hoffman II, of West Salem; and Patricia (Ron) Donnell, of Arizona. He is further survived by his father and mother-in-law, Donald and Carol Romanoski, of Sarona, WI; brother and sister-in-law, Todd (Mary Jo) Romanoski, of Hudson, WI; his faithful companion, Corson and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Patricia; an infant sister, Mary Elizabeth; a brother, Tom Hoffman; and several aunts and uncles.

A Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 7, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Sparta, with Father Eric Berns officiating. Interment will follow in Woodlawn Cemetery, Sparta.

Visitation for Willie will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, at the Lanham-Schanhofer Funeral Home, Sparta with a prayer service to conclude the evening. Visitation will continue at the church on Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. until the time of Mass. Online condolences may be offered to the Hoffman family at www.schanhoferfh.com.

In lieu of flowers memorials can be directed to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and/or the Sparta Free Library.

The Lanham-Schanhofer Funeral Home, Sparta, is assisting the family with funeral arrangements.

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