Tuesday, October 29th, 2013 was a sad day at Hanson Services. We said goodbye to an incredible woman and an inspiration to all of us. Our beloved client, Mae Hoffman, passed away exactly 104 years after her birth, October 29th, 1909.

There is so much about Mae that we will always cherish. Living to 104 in itself is incredible. Passing away on her 104th birthday has all of us wondering if she chose the date. Mae lived on her own terms, and it would not surprise any of us if this was her plan. Mae was precise. Our caregivers marveled at her attention to detail, striving for beauty in everything from a table setting to her surroundings at home. She passed away peacefully in her beautiful home.

In fact, it was Mae’s choice to stay in her home, that brought her into our lives. November 1, 2007, she invited Hanson Services into her home and the home of her (late) sister Nettie. She resisted any suggestion that a woman in her 90’s should be in a nursing home, allowing us to provide whatever care she and Nettie needed on any particular day, and sharing with us her passion for life.

We will miss Mae’s birthday celebrations (Nettie’s too). Both Mae and Nettie appreciated their robust health and embraced each birthday with gratitude and happiness. Last year’s celebration, October 29th, 2012, Mae Hoffman’s birthday number 103 was interrupted by Hurricane Sandy, forcing Mae out of her home. She celebrated anyway and had our Hanson Services caregivers move her into her nephew’s home until the storm passed.

Mae was an avid reader, a passionate world traveler, and a generous donor. She supported a foundation to treat birth defects in children worldwide, especially those born with a cleft palate. Mae was also proud of her Jewish Heritage and contributed to the Simon Wiesenthal Foundation. She was a maverick, launching her career at a time when Jewish women had limited job opportunities, and refusing to let her education go untapped.

We miss Mae Hoffman, but our lives are better for having met her. She set the gold standard of a life well-lived and time well-spent during her 104 years among us. Rest in peace Mae, and thank you for sharing your final years and final hours with us.