Jane McCormick Hoffecker

Washington born and raised, and past 40-year resident of the northern Key Peninsula, passed away May 25 after a brief illness with her husband and two sons by her side.

Jane was born Dec. 18, 1945, to Harland Marshall McCormick and Rose Vogel McCormick in Tacoma. With a personality that brought light to all who saw her shining face, “Janie” received the nickname “Shiny” as a young girl. She graduated from Stadium High School in 1964 and would later attend Seattle University and the University of Puget Sound, joining the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.

Jane married William “Bill” Hoffecker in 1970. While she enjoyed travel to both coasts of the United States, British Isles, Canada — including the Klondike to find a nugget about her grandmother’s life in its 1898 gold rush — and island hopped on Caribbean cruises, Jane cherished being home with her family gazing out at a slack tide and sky-reflecting Burley Lagoon in summer twilight most of all.

As a founder of what is now known as the Peninsula Hawks Scholarship Fund and S.A.V.E. Thrift Store in 1984, Jane’s volunteer efforts were critical for seed donations that over 40 years have grown to more than $400,000 annually to PHS graduates, an effort so successful Jane visited other regional high schools on their request to help them adopt the model. Jane also assisted young people during her career at the Gig Harbor Branch of the Pierce County Library, where she was a long-time favorite of colleagues and patrons alike. While all of her roles were important, none could compare to the titles she embraced most over her life: loving daughter, wife, and mom.

Jane is survived by her husband Bill; her sons David Pavolka and Craig Hoffecker; sister Lynn McCormick Radcliffe; grandson William Hoffecker; many nephews and nieces; and extended family members.

A celebration of life was held at Haven of Rest in Gig Harbor July 12. In remembrance of Jane, donations may be made to Friends of the Gig Harbor Library or the Peninsula Hawks Scholarship Fund.