Lucia Ghislaine Hofbauer

Lucia Ghislaine (née Lavoie) Hofbauer passed away on December 25, 2024, amongst family at her home in Tallahassee, Florida. She was 86 years old. She will be dearly missed. Lucia was born in St. Antonin, Quebec on February 1, 1938 to Napoleon and Rose ( née Castonguay) Lavoie. She was the youngest of eight and the last of her four brothers and three sisters to pass. As the youngest of a large boisterous and loving family she often spoke of many fun fille adventures growing up in a wholesome busy household in rural Quebec. From a young age she helped tending animals, assisting with the care of boarding workers and with the family wood mill enterprise that her father had founded in the area. She studied at teachers college in Quebec where she received a degree in education and went on to be a primary school teacher in Montreal. Soon after she would meet her future husband Gerhard Hofbauer whom she married on July 10, 1965. They were married for 52 years. After the birth of her second son Franz she and her husband immigrated to Florida and soon after would welcome their third son Eric. They established a home in Miami Beach where they lovingly raised their sons and lived a busy successful life for over thirty years. On top of working for over twenty years as a waitress to help support the family she also helped manage the real estate properties and her husbands taxi company throughout the years. As the mother of three active sons, Lucia spent many hours driving the boys around to numerous soccer and football practices and to countless game events throughout the Miami area, loudly cheering from the sidelines and often acting as chauffeur and chaperone to a large percentage of the teams. Eventually she moved with her husband to Tallahassee to be nearer her first two grandchildren and once again played a vital role in helping to manage family businesses. Lucia always kept an open door and open heart for family and friends and was at her happiest at every opportunity to have people come together for holidays and birthdays. She was a devoted, tireless and nurturing mother and a doting grandmother. She was ever generous and caring. As well, she was a constant gardener and never ceased to find joy and beauty in plant and flowers. Lucia was a devout Catholic whose faith in God and the church, even in he moments of suffering, never wavered. She will be most remembered for her sincere easy laugh joyful spirit, humorous unexpected wit, big hugs, gentle kisses, and ever loving heart. Lucia is predeceased by her husband and by all her brothers and sisters. She leaves behind her sons Eddy, Franz and Eric and their families, including her three grandchildren, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Lucia Ghislaine Hofbauer

February 1, 1938 - December 25, 2024