Listen Here
By: Jacob Sarver
Twitter: @Senatorsarver
Email: sarverj@findlay.edu
The memorial for Marianna Hofer was held on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 3:30 p.m. in the Alumni Memorial Union. Students and faculty, along with loved ones, met once again to honor her legacy. Hofer was an English professor at the University of Findlay for 32 years who lost her short, but strong, battle against cancer.
The UF community still mourns the loss of a professor who enhanced the student experience so greatly. Hofer impacted students across the spectrum, including Bryanna Floyd, a junior majoring in education. Marianna impacted Floyd’s life significantly by helping her discover and pursue a career she now loves.
“I struggled with finding interest in my English classes and she just made it so easy for me,” Floyd said, “When I started my freshmen year here, I was a pre-vet major and struggled. I came to the realization that I was liking my English classes more than science because she showed me how to make English fun yet still learn the appropriate skills that I needed as a college freshman.”
When it came to the issues facing Floyd during her own personal battles with cancer, Hofer still seemed to place a concern for her students above her own health.
“The fall semester of sophomore year I was diagnosed with cancer. The spring semester was more difficult because I was dealing with the after effects and this was when I had her as a professor,” Floyd said.
Hofer has impacted both students and alumni alike. Clay Parlette, a recent UF graduate, recalls the day he found out about her passing.
“I guess my initial reaction was a sort of nauseating feeling,” Parlette said. “I didn’t accept the fact that one day her and I were chatting nonchalantly on the sidewalk in downtown Findlay and then literally a week later she is given only a few days to live.”
Parlette majored in public relations at UF and is thankful for the influence Hofer had on him beyond the classroom.
“She always stood up for me like I was her own. She seemed to always have such an interest in my educational success as well.” Parlette said. “She helped me sort out the official paperwork and approvals for securing an individualized writing minor something I didn’t even know was possible. She took me under her wing even befriending my family and leading me to call myself an “adopted student of the English department.”
No matter who interacted with Marianna Hofer, everyone seems to have the same thoughts and feelings about who she was as an educator and person. Hofer impacted students and faculty by bringing a new style of teaching to the table. She embodied what the University stands for and has made for a tough hole to be filled.
“I never told her I had gotten sick but she continued to ask how I was doing,” Floyd stated. “A part of me thinks she just knew somehow and even though she was dealing with her own health struggles she still went out of her way to ask about mine. This shows what kind of person and educator she truly was.”
