Delbert William Hoffmann

DELBERT WILLIAM HOFFMANN Delbert William Hoffmann, one of the inventors of the Taco Pizza, entrepreneur, adventurer, and hunter, died peacefully at home in Versailles, MO, on January 14, 2025. "Del" was born in St. Louis in 1948. He would have celebrated his 77th birthday on January 26th. He is survived by his wife Donna, the love of his life for 43 years; his children, Dustin W. Hoffmann and Danae L. Lerew (Zachariah); his sister, Charlene Clements (Wayne) of St. Louis; sister-in-law, Sandy Hoffmann of St. Louis; step-granddaughter, Autumn Lerew; a great-grandson, Asher; and his rescue dog, Hershey, whose companionship and devotion gave him peace. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Mildred (Probst) Hoffmann; brother, Floyd C. Hoffmann and step-grandson, Zachariah Lerew Jr. Del grew up in west St. Louis County. He attended St. Paul Lutheran Grade School in Des Peres and graduated from Parkway High School in 1966. At a young age, Del was so mischievous with such a love for life that his grandfather nicknamed him "Fireworks." He grew up in a close-knit family with lots of cousins that would meet at the old mulberry tree to plan their next adventure. He played basketball and football in school. Growing up near his grandparents' farm, he loved horses and participated in rodeos, trail riding, even riding his horse to school. His high school music teacher discovered his talent for singing. Voice lessons ensued and his tenor voice led him to sing in numerous operas and at weddings. He tried out for the Ted Mack Amateur Hour and even performed at The Muny. His singing of "The Lord's Prayer" touched many hearts. At nineteen, he moved to Iowa and, from there, he headed to Virginia, where his love for pizza making was formed. He worked with the founders of Pizza Hut, learning the company while it was still young. He returned to Iowa, where he met Joe Whitey, of Happy Joe's Pizza and Ice Cream Parlors. He worked with Joe building company stores, which was when the Taco Pizza was born. Del even had a pizza on the menu named after him: Taco Del Grande. Del left Iowa when Joe gave him the Wisconsin and Illinois territories to develop. As he grew the business, he settled in Sheboygan in 1977. He was involved in the Sheboygan Jaycees, Noon Optimist, invented the Bratza Pizza for Bratwurst Days and helped with numerous causes. He sponsored fireman, policeman, and youth teams in basketball, volleyball, softball, and golf, even a race car. His franchise had a hot air balloon and a firetruck. The firetruck provided birthday fun, appeared in weddings and parades, and even went to opening day at the Milwaukee Brewers' games. His first date with Donna was on his antique firetruck. Del received countless awards and was most proud of receiving a ring for 25 years of dedication to the Happy Joe's Pizza franchise. In 1988, the family moved to a farm in Sheyboygan Falls which eventually became 4D Farms. He was involved in 4-H projects, and the farm even hosted the famous Lipizzaner Stallions on their tour. For health reasons, he moved the family to Birnamwood, WI, in 1998. He went from making pizzas to working for Schwans Consumer Brands, delivering frozen pizzas to grocery stores. Del had a passion for hunting and conservation of wildlife. He was fortunate to hunt caribou in the Arctic Circle, bear in Canada, pheasants in South Dakota, and deer. His brother's Alzheimer's diagnosis brought him full circle. In 2013, he moved back to Missouri to be near his family. He loved traveling, camping and being outdoors. He was at peace with a life well-lived with family and friends. His beautiful voice is singing again. The family will have a celebration of life in spring 2025. Memorial donations may be made to: www.humanesociety.org/memorial, www.parkinson.org, https://act.alz.org. Cremation arrangements are under the care and direction of the Kidwell-Garber Funeral Home of Versailles.

Delbert William Hoffmann

January 26, 1948 - January 14, 2025

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Delbert William Hoffmann

January 26, 1948 - January 14, 2025

About Us

What We Do

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Grief & Healing

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