Ellen Hoffrichter Obituary

Hoffrichter, Ellen 11/3/1930 - 3/4/2021 Saline, Michigan Ellen Katherine (Thornton) Hoffrichter died Thursday, March 4, 2021, in Saline, Michigan, at age 90, surrounded by her children. Ellen was born on Nov. 3, 1930, to Blanche and Wilbur Thornton, in Howell, Michigan. She grew up in Highland, Michigan, and graduated from Milford High School in 1948. In 1950, she married Paul Marcus Hoffrichter and moved in 1960 to Ann Arbor, where she lived most of her life. Ellen loved history and studied genealogy to learn about her ancestry, tracing her roots to before the American Revolution and completing a book on her family genealogy and published an ancestor's diary from the Civil War. She was an active member of the Ann Arbor City Club and the Daughters of the American Revolution, as well as an active member of St. Francis of Assisi parish. She worked in a variety of jobs, but in addition to being a loving wife and mother, she was most proud of her small business, Insurance Processing Service. Ellen was an avid card player, splendid storyteller, generous giver, active listener and brilliant conversationalist with a great sense of humor, full of timeless wisdom and always smiling in the front row for any performance or sporting event involving her grandchildren, who also shared many an adventure with her at Greenfield Village. She is remembered as a loving mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, great-aunt, sister-in-law and friend. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and son-in-law JJ Shipley. Ellen is survived by daughters Sue-Ellen Pastrana, Paula (John) D'Addona and Leslie Shipley; Grandchildren Marisol (Michael) Lopez, Daniel (Corene) D'Addona, David (Paige) D'Addona, Christina (Will) Clark, Matthew D'Addona, Samantha (Joe) Bowden, Alexandra Shipley; Great-grandchildren Corina Lopez, Michael Lopez, Lena D'Addona, Mara D'Addona, Brooke Bowden, Vinny Clark, Madison D'Addona and Hudson Bowden; Brother Wilbur Clark Thornton (Connie) and their children Briana, Brandon and Jeru; and many nieces, nephews. A funeral service will take place at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 2225 Stadium, Blvd., Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Monday, March 8, 2021. Visitation at 10:30 a.m. and funeral mass at 11:30 a.m. The mass will be livestreamed on the church website at https://www.stfrancisa2.com (click on gray box that reads click to watch live). Internment will take place in the St. Francis Memorial Garden. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Memory Support Center at Brecon Village in Saline, Michigan Arbor Hospice or to a charity of your choice.