Merl Eugene Hoffman

Merl Eugene Hoffman (A.k.a. Uncle Merl)
Merl E. Hoffman, 50, of 280 Bredinsburg Rd., Seneca died at 7:07 a.m. Thursday December 10, 2009.
?As of December 10, 2009 at 7:07 a.m., I AM OUT OF HERE. Most would think that at 50 years of age that it must have been an auto/motorcycle wreck or drugs. Nope, ALS (Lou Gehrig?s Disease). ALS claims the life of two out of every 100,000 people. Don?t feel bad for me. My life was truly blessed, especially the last four years. Life just doesn?t get any better. As for my other 46 years, I did things most people only dream of doing and did things people would never dream of doing. My path let me meet some of the greatest people on the planet. Yes, I mean you. See ya on the other side.
As for those who preceded me and who survives me, well, if you know me you already know. If you don?t know me, you probably don?t care. As for where I worked, I had a paper route in the Third Ward, worked at Blair?s Tractor Sales and at Fisher & Fathers. After graduating from Cranberry High School I joined a funny car team for four years. Eventually I ended up at Joy as an assembly mechanic. Now that I think about it, I never had to look hard for work, it would always find me. Hobbies, I always enjoyed preparing cars for competition with others. Recently, I was really getting into renovating an old farm house, refabricating a car port, maintaining the grape arbor and so on. After burning the candle at both ends for so long, carpentry at a laid back pace was truly relaxing. It?s like building a boat in your basement.
In lieu of flowers, I request that the next time you are out having dinner or enjoying your favorite cool refreshment, let it be on me.
If you are wondering why I wrote my own obituary, I had a lot of time on my hands and this way no one can be upset because they feel it wasn?t done correctly. I know that there is a form that you fill out to create an obituary. If you know me you know I wasn?t much for doing things the way others did it.�
On April 8, 2005 he married Tammy Woods who survives along with his step-daughter Kelli Stahlman and her husband Robert of Reno, his step-son Chad Masterson of Fresno, CA and two grandchildren Landon and Lizzibeth Stahlman. Also surviving are 4 brothers John Hoffman and his wife Sandy, Kenneth E. Hoffman and his wife Martha, Walter Paul Hoffman and his wife Sherry all of Franklin and Kelly Jo Hoffman and his wife Gidget of Knox; a sister Christine Snyder and her husband Bill of Oil City and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents Lester E. and Genevieve Kelly Hoffman. Friends will be received in the Huff Chapel, 312 W. Park St. from 2-4 & 7-9 p.m. Saturday. Private family services will follow.
The family has suggested memorial donations be made to ALS Association, 27001 Agoura Rd., Suite 250, Calabasas Hills, CA 91301 or the Venango County Humane Society, P.O.Box 1045, Oil City PA 16301.