J. Paul Hoffman, 98, of Altoona went to be with his Lord Friday evening at the Altoona Regional Health System, Altoona Hospital Campus.

Born in Kaylor, Armstrong County, he was a son of Richard James and Jennie M.C. Pfaff Hoffman.

Soon after his birth, his parents moved to a farm in East Brady, where two sisters and a brother were born.

A 1925 graduate of East Brady High School, he attended Slippery Rock State Normal School for 1925 to 1926 and taught one-room schools in Sugarcreek Township for three years.

Mr. Hoffman took summer courses at Slippery Rock State Normal School in 1927 and 1928 and returned to the teachers college from 1929 to 1931, when he graduated with a bachelor's degree in education, and was certified to teach high school history, science and English and to teach in elementary schools.

He then taught in a one-room school in Butler County, where he had more than 50 pupils each year in all eight grades.

While teaching, he took state and Federal Civil Service examinations and in 1939 was offered a job with the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board as a field representative. He was assigned to the Pittsburgh office in 1940 and worked there until 1963, when he became manager of the Altoona office until he retired in 1973. After retirement, he joined the National Association of Retired Federal Employees.

For several years, he worked with the Blair County Literacy Program and was a member of SCORE for more than 10 years.

Mr. Hoffman was active in church all his life as a Sunday school teacher and in other capacities.

Surviving are his wife, Elizabeth M. Schacht Hoffman, whom he married July 11, 1934; a daughter, Dr. Jenny L. Rajput, a son-in-law, Dr. M. Akram Rajput of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario; two grandchildren, Dr. Hussein Rajput of Mendota Heights, Minn., and Sabra Rajput-Gingras of Sault Ste. Marie; and two great-grandchildren, Leila J. and Aaron J. Rajput, both of Mendota Heights.

He also is survived by a sister, Anna Belle Hoffman; four nephews; four nieces; and numerous grandnieces, grandnephews, great-grandnephews and great-grandnieces.

<B>HOFFMAN </B>— Friends of J. Paul Hoffman, who died Friday, Oct. 20, 2006, will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. today at the <B>Mauk & Yates Funeral Home</B>, 719 N. Fourth Ave., Altoona, Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home with the Rev. Donald Rock officiating.Committal services will be at 3 p.m. Tuesday at St Paul's United Community Church Cemetery, Chicora, with the Rev. Randall Forester officiating.