Obituary: Ruth Bennett Hoff

February 12, 1935 – July 2, 2024

Ruthie Hoff, 89, who lived her life to the fullest, passed away on July 2, 2024 after a short illness and a decade with dementia.
She was born February 12, 1935, in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Josephine Clifford and Theodore Wood Bennett and raised as the third of four children in nearby Wayzata. She attended Stanford University before returning to Minneapolis where she had three children. After going through divorce and wanting to be in the mountains, she moved to Aspen, Colorado in 1964 with a 6-month-old daughter and 4- and 6-year-old boys. In 1967, she married Dave Hoff who later adopted her three children.
She and Dave lived a very full life raising the three kids, volunteering at the ski club and other youth sports, and were founding members of the Smuggler Racquet Club, River Valley Ranch and The Owl Creek Club. She was also one of the first two women to helicopter ski the first winter Canadian Mountain Holidays opened the Bugaboos in 1964. She went on to get over 10 million vertical feet of skiing while heli-skiing in Canada. Besides skiing, golf, tennis, cycling and fly fishing she loved her gardening and classical music. She enjoyed the Sunday afternoon classical music concerts in the Benedict tent for decades.
She and Dave traveled extensively all over the world in their years together-a vast majority of vacations were for an activity whether it was skiing, road biking, fly fishing or golfing. There was never a dull moment. Ruthie lived her life like the Frank Sinatra song “I’ve lived a life that’s full, I traveled each and every highway, and more, much more than this, I did it my way.”
She is survived by her husband Dave Hoff of 57 years, three children-Ted (Vanessa), Beth (Kent), Harve and stepdaughter Kristie (Billy). 7 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews and a world of friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club. Checks can be mailed to 300 AVSC Drive, Aspen, CO 81611 or online at https://www.teamavsc.org/give please note in honor of Ruthie Hoff.
We would love to hear your favorite memory-please send to bethhoffblackmer@gmail.com.
We welcome all to join her family for her Celebration of Life Wednesday, August 28, 2024, 4-7pm at Chaparral Ranch Casual dress 291 Chaparral Dr, Woody Creek, CO