Sandra P. Hoffman

Waltham - "It's impossible" said pride. "It's risky" said experience. "It's pointless" said reason . . . "Give it a try" whispered the HEART.

That sums up what Sandy Hoffman must have felt in 1982 when, just two years out of college herself, she was asked to start from scratch a women's volleyball program at Bentley College in Waltham.

In the intervening thirty plus years of coaching Sandy poured her heart and her soul into the program achieving heights almost unparalleled in college sport. And while Sandy never let her kids get down on themselves she held herself to the same standard. She applied her mantra of 'Get tough!" on the day a couple of years ago that her doctor gave her the diagnosis of adrenal cortical carcinoma, a very rare form of cancer.

Sandra Patricia Hoffman was fifty-seven when the cancer took her on Monday, August 31, 2015 at the McCarthy Care Center in Sandwich. Sandy died knowing that she was loved and wanted and needed by her beloved wife, Mary, who walked every step of the journey with her and by her family and friends who cared so deeply about her.

A native of Manhasset, New York she graduated from Springfield College in 1980 and two years later came to Bentley where she not only began the volleyball program but also became the university's assistant director of athletics the same year. Five years later Sandy began the New England All-Star Volleyball Camp and in 1990 earned an MBA in Management from Bentley.

During the course of her thirty-three year coaching career at Bentley Sandy mentored hundreds of student athletes, achieved more than 750 wins, became the fourth winningest coach all time in Division II and received the Northeast-10 Conference 'Volleyball Coach of the Year' award ten times; an award that now bears her name.

In an interview following her most recent award in 2013 Sandy had this to say, "I am very humbled and honored by the naming of the Northeast-10 Coach of the Year on my behalf," said Hoffman. "I was blessed to be hired right out of college to start Bentley's program, and since then I have experienced the outstanding development in competition, respect and professionalism among the conference's 15 very competitive programs."

"I cherish my relationships with so many of the student-athletes and coaches I've worked with and played against," added Hoffman. "It is these relationships that drives my spirit to coach, and I am proud to be a part of such a group of fine young players and coaches that represent our conference."

Her humility on the occasion of accolades and her tenacity in the face of challenges became hallmarks of Sandy's spirit to the end.

Before and after retirement Sandy loved taking to the sea, more specifically Lewis Bay on the Cape, where she captained her boat, 'Shoregalz' on which she and Mary and friends spent many happy days. A voyage to 'Egg Island', a sandy outcrop that appears at low tide, was always a favorite destination.

In addition to her wife, Mary L. Lincoln, Sandy leaves her mother, Barbara (Cohen) Hoffman of Mesa, Arizona; her brothers, Robert J. "John" Hoffman of Millersburg, Ohio and Paul J. Hoffman and his wife, Pat, of Bellevue, Nebraska; her beloved dog, Mya, and many nieces, nephews and their families.

Sandy was also the daughter of the late Robert Hoffman.

Family and friends will honor and remember Sandy's life by gathering for calling hours in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham on Friday, September 4th from 3 to 7 p.m.

A celebration of Sandy's life will be held on Tuesday, September 29, 2015 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the Wilder Pavilion (1st floor, Adamian Academic Center) at Bentley Univeristy, 175 Forest Street, Waltham to be followed immediately by a reception in the Adamian Academic Center Foyer. For directions and a map of the campus please visit www.bentley.edu/about/map

In lieu of flowers consider honoring Sandy's memory with a donation to Dr. Anand Vaidya's Adrenal Research at Brigham and Women's Hospital, c/o Development Office, 116 Huntington Avenue, 3rd Fl., Boston, MA 02116 or at www.bwhgiving.org/hoffman