Mary Hoffmann Obituary

Dr. Mary Ann Hoffmann lost a valiant but inevitable struggle against gallbladder carcinoma on August 5, 2017. She passed peacefully at her home in the company of family and friends.

Dr. Mary Ann was a board certified Orthopedic Surgeon in solo private practice in Lawrence from 1983 until 2006 when health issues forced her retirement. Her guiding principle in the practice of medicine was to always do what is best for the patient. Whether this was a service she could provide or entailed referral to a practitioner with greater expertise did not matter. Patient comes first.

Mary Ann was born April 8, 1954 in St. Louis, Missouri. The first child of William L. Hauptmann, M.D. and Dorothy R. (Gendreau) Hauptmann. Mary Ann spent her early years in California while her father fulfilled his military obligation as Air Force Physician, returning to Ferguson, Missouri at Age 6, she attended parochial grade schools and graduated from St. Joseph Academy in 1972. Mary Ann was accepted into the U.M.K.C. six-year medical school in 1972. She graduated from U.M.K.C. in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and a Doctor of Medicine Degree. Mary Ann completed a five-year residency in orthopedic surgery at U.M.K.C. in 1983.

Dr. Mary Ann met her future husband, Philip Hoffmann while she was a rotating intern at St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, in October 1978. Mary Ann and Philip were married on January 10, 1981 at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Independence, Missouri. The couple moved to Lawrence in August 1983 where Philip joined Reed Medical Group as Lawrence's first Gastroenterologist and Mary Ann established her private practice. At that time, Mary Ann was one of the only two female orthopedic surgeons in private practice in the State of Kansas. Things have fortunately changed for the better in this regard. The couple were blessed with two wonderful children, Laura C. and John A. (Jack).

Outside of her practice of medicine, Mary Ann was an avid reader of English literature, gardener, knitter, needle pointer, gourmet cook, 4-H mom, and a reluctant driver of a minivan for school outings. She introduced her husband to trout fishing. She had mixed feelings about this fact at a later point in time. Mary Ann travelled widely, traveling to the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada, China, France, Netherlands, Great Britain, and Ireland. Her great desire was to do amateur archeology in her retirement. But unfortunately, medical issued precluded this.

Mary Ann was preceded in death by her father, William (1971) and mother, Dorothy (2015). She is survived by her husband, Philip, of the home, Laura, and grandchildren, Deion and Savannah Patton, Lawrence; and son, John (Jack) Hoffmann, Rolla, Missouri. Mary Ann is also survived by her sister, Dr. Christine Hauptmann, MD and her children, Anya Elizabeth, and Aili Alysse; sister, Dr. Ellen (Hauptmann) Flotree, MD and husband, David; brother, Dr. Edward Hauptmann, MD, and wife, Dr. Kathy (Perahoritis) Hauptmann, MD and children, Teddy, Evie, Katia, and Chistoff; and niece, Sarah Lemp. Mary Ann has four additional surviving sisters with spouses and children. She is survived on her husband's side by Michael and Penny Hoffmann; and Teresa (Hoffmann) and Michael McGuire; and nieces and nephews.

The family wishes to thank all the friends, co-workers, physicians and nurses for their kindness and consideration. Dr. Matthew Stein, MD and his nurse Justice for helping us fight the fight. A special thanks to Jeanne Bronoski for her years of friendship and journeyman service.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations in Mary Ann's name to the Lawrence Memorial Hospital Endowment or the Lawrence Humane Society.

A visitation will be held from 7 – 9 p.m. Friday, August 11, 2017 at Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13th Street, Lawrence, Kansas. Funeral procession will depart from the mortuary at 10:45 a.m. Saturday, August 12, 2017 and proceed to Oak Hill Cemetery, 1605 Oak Hill Avenue, Lawrence for an 11 a.m. interment service.

Online condolences may be posted at warrenmcelwain.com.

Always try to do the right thing.