RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Raymond Hoff has been called to eternal life by the wisdom of God at the age of sixty-nine; and
WHEREAS, The City Council has been informed of his passing by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, Born and raised in Chicago, Raymond Hoff was the loving and devoted husband of Barbara; and
WHEREAS, Raymond Hoff was the much-adored father of Jeannie and the late Richard Hoff and the beloved grandfather of seven; and
WHEREAS, Raymond Hoff served with honor and distinction for thirty-two years as a member of the Chicago Fire Department and retired in 1997 as a Battalion Chief; and
WHEREAS, A third-generation firefighter, Raymond Hoff joined the department four years after his father lost his life while battling a blaze on Chicago's South Side; and
WHEREAS, Raymond Hoff worked out of a station at 46th and Cottage Grove and later was a Captain on Truck Company 10 at Division and Larrabee near the Cabrini-Green public housing project; and
WHEREAS, In 1993 Raymond Hoff crawled through smoke to rescue two children from an apartment fire and was honored by the City for his valor; and
WHEREAS, Later that same year, Raymond Hoff was also the first truck company officer to respond to the deadly Paxton Hotel Fire where he directed rescues of residents and saved numerous lives; and
WHEREAS, The movie Backdraft was loosely based on the heroic careers of Raymond Hoff and his brother, Robert; and
WHEREAS, Raymond Hoff was an excellent teacher regarding the science behind fighting fires, mentoring younger firefighters and serving as an instructor at the University of Illinois' Fire Service Institute; and
WHEREAS, After retiring from the Chicago Fire Department, Raymond Hoff moved to Topinabee, Michigan and served as the Chief of that city's volunteer fire department; and
WHEREAS, The hard work, sacrifice and dedication of Raymond Hoff serve as an example to all; and
WHEREAS, Raymond Hoff will be dearly missed and fondly remembered by his many relatives, friends and ...
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