Maryknoll Sister Loretta Marie Hoffman taught at Maryknoll High

Maryknoll Sister Loretta Marie Hoffman, who taught at Maryknoll High School in Honolulu three times from the 1940s to the 70s for a total of 11 years, died on April 2 at the Maryknoll Residential Care Facility, Maryknoll, N.Y. She was 90 years old.

Sister Loretta was born in 1915 in Brooklyn, N.Y. to Margaret A. Zorn and John P. Hoffmann.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in history in 1937 and a master’s in American History from Fordham University in 1941 she entered Maryknoll in 1942, pronouncing her first vows in 1945 in Maryknoll, N.Y.

She made her final vows in 1948 in Honolulu.

She first taught at Maryknoll High from 1945 to 1948. From 1948 to 1952, she instructed grades seven through nine on Koror, Palau. She moved to the island of Yap in Micronesia, teaching from 1952 to 1958 when she returned to Koror to serve as principal until 1961.

In 1961, she returned to the United States to be assistant novice mistress of the Maryknoll Sisters in Topsfield, Mass. She returned to Koror a third time in 1965 to teach until 1969.

She taught at Maryknoll High again from 1969 to 1971, then returned to Koror to teach until 1973.

Sister Loretta served her order and region in finances and other services from 1973 until 1991 when she was assigned to the Maryknoll Sisters Retirement Home in Monrovia, Calif.

She returned to Maryknoll, N.Y., in 1999 due to failing health and remained in the Residential Care Residence until her death.

Her funeral and burial were on April 8 at Maryknoll.