In Memory of Mike (Mad Dawg) Hoffa… a loving Husband, Dad, GrandDad, Friend, and a great example of a person we all need in our life, a person with perspective, real-world experiences, and a big heart. He was at times a challenging dude in conversation, possibly a bit radical, other times sensible, and occasionally a formidable troll on Facebook lol. But for realzies, he cared about what other people were going through whether it was hard times or good times, sickness or in health, he made himself available and at their disposal till almost no end. There’s a saying around town, “Mike has never met a stranger” - This is true - He would consistently meet new people in-town and out-of-town, day-to-day and state-by-state, and this continued throughout all his bright 69-year life. He’s had long-time friends, and short-time friends, and many acquaintances, and those who had the chance to know Mike and have a conversation with him, know the guy could talk a mile a minute, liked the consistent volley of words and subjects, and nothing was taboo to talk about; with no filter and no limits!
His unique point of view is one of his best qualities and one that made him special. Its development began in the 70’s where Mike was a motorcycle mechanic in California, until one day he trusted his instincts and took off on his Yamaha to ride around the United States through small-town and big-city America. He would often tell us the stories of his adventures, the forever winding roads and valleys, the landscapes and scenery, the good weather and the bad, the people and conversations, and um… the booze and parties… but most importantly, the feeling of what it was like to be free ‘way back when’. Soon after his road-trip ended, and the days of being a motorcycling-hippie, he began working at Lockhead-Martin in the Bay Area, a career which lasted nearly four decades. With his wife Connie, he moved to Ripon in 1992, and eventually became a well known personality in Ripon who donated to the local town events, charities, businesses, and townspeople of Ripon. For two years, he even reached the Crown-Jewel of small-town achievements, he was Santa Clause! - god help us lol
Mike had many adopted grandkids in town, and he had many friends, there were many friendly neighbors and places that recognized his persona both online and in-person as Hoffa, or Mad Dawg, or just plain ole Mike. He had left a sizable mark within much of the community in Ripon and surrounding San Joaquin Valley where he took his hard-earned time and money to participate in the things that mattered most with his wife, and all friends who encountered him. Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans, and he has lived and made many of these plans… Unfortunately, his plans never included the Cancer diagnosis back in November 2021.
Micheal J. Hoffa passed away on the night of March 16th 2023 after his short battle with an aggressive Cancer. Throughout his challenging 15-month bout, he was surrounded & aided by everyone young-and-old, and to an amazing extent. Closer to the end, he was reminded about how important everyone was to him and how they helped and changed their lives. His wife Connie, and myself Tom (son), are devastated. He declined so fast in the final days, and hit with such an impact that we are only now able to make this post announcing it. With that said, be sure to give your loved ones all the help you can, be good to your friends, and even better to your neighbors, love, persist, and choose a town you want to live in. Care about your community, participate, give people as many opportunities and experiences that you can, and above all, use your time wisely because soon time runs out. Finally, we want to thank everyone that has been there for Mike, Connie, and myself. Words almost cannot express our gratitude and thanks for your help during this awkward and challenging time as we discover our way forward.