Roberta Senner Hofer, 74, passed away
peacefully at her home, surrounded by her family, on October 5, 2022.
The cause was complications from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.
Roberta was born to Robert and Rachel Epp Senner in Newton, Kansas,
on April 8, 1948. She grew up in Buhler, Kansas, where she joined her
siblings John and Rachel, followed by her brother Stan. Upon
graduation from high school, she attended Bethel College in N.
Newton, Kansas, like her parents, grandparents, and older siblings
before her. In 1970, after earning a degree in Art, Roberta acted
upon her dream to go to Europe. Rod Hofer, a Bethel friend who was
working for the Red Cross in Yugoslavia, secured her an au pair
position in Ljubljana, where she was able to explore the beautiful
city with its castle on the hill. During the summer she lived on the
Croatian island of Hvar before joining Rod and his parents in Germany
for a month-long tour of Western Europe in his new VW beetle. To this
day, Rod claims that Roberta traveled halfway around the world just
for him. Roberta and Rod were married on December 27, 1971, and moved
to Lawrence, Kansas. Other than brief stints in Pennsylvania and
Thailand, Roberta called Lawrence home for the rest of her days.
Roberta and Rod started their family with the adoption of Alexandra
in 1978, followed by the birth of Timothy in 1979 and Elise in 1982.
She was a volunteer English instructor at Small World, an
organization that helped international women and their preschool
children adapt to a new culture. In 1984, the family moved to
Bangkok, Thailand for six months, where Rod served as a Water Quality
Advisor to the Royal Thai Government. Roberta homeschooled and cared
for their three children, ages 6 and under, navigating the bustling
streets by bus, taxi, and tuk-tuk. With her children in school,
Roberta matriculated at the University of Kansas and earned a
Master?s degree in Applied Linguistics in 1991. She worked as a
lecturer at the KU Applied English Center from 1991-2001, teaching
advanced reading and writing to international students. In 2001, she
completed training as a paralegal and worked at the John Knox Law
Firm until her retirement in 2014. Throughout her life, Roberta was
committed to peace and social justice. She helped to establish and
served as Board President of the Victim Offender Reconciliation
Program (VORP) in Douglas County, and helped to bring the fair-trade
marketplace 10,000 Villages to downtown Lawrence. She was an active
participant in the formation and growth of Peace Mennonite Church.
She proudly displayed the citation she received for a peace
demonstration at Fort Leavenworth, from which she was banned for
life. Roberta loved to travel ? particularly to Paris in the spring
? and she returned to Europe with Rod 10 times throughout their
marriage. But she also loved the simple pleasures of daily life:
coffee on the front porch, a cool morning jog, a new pattern on her
sewing machine. Roberta will be remembered for her fierce loyalty,
warmth, and sense of humor. She was intelligent and creative, and an
excellent listener who made others feel at ease. Her outward beauty ?
and unparalleled stylishness ? reflected her inner grace and
kindness. For more than 50 years, Roberta made her home a welcoming
place for family and friends to gather over delicious food, good
wine, and plenty of laughter. Roberta is survived by her loving
family: Rod Hofer, her husband for more than 50 years; her children
Alexandra Hofer, Lawrence; Timothy (Melania) Hofer, Lenexa, KS; and
Elise (Adam) Derstine, Goshen, IN; grandchildren Abram and Sally
Derstine and Kathryn and Thomas Hofer; siblings John (Diana Taylor)
Senner, Little Rock, AR; Rachel Van Wingen, Randolph, KS; and Stan
(Pat) Senner, Missoula, MT; and many nieces and nephews. She was
preceded in death by her parents Robert and Rachel Epp Senner and her
brother-in-law Peter Van Wingen. A memorial service will be held on
November 5 at 2:00 PM at the First Baptist Church, 1330 Kasold Drive,
Lawrence KS. Donations in Roberta?s memory may be made to Peace
Mennonite Church, Mennonite Central Committee, Bethel College
(Kansas), or the National Audubon Society, in care of Rumsey-Yost
Funeral Home, P.O. Box 1260 Lawrence, Kansas 66044. Online
condolences made at rumsey-yost.com
