01/31/2023
Anita Louise Walker Hoffman, age 77, of Griffin, passed away peacefully on January 29, 2023. There will be a Celebration of Life service at Historic Walker Hill on Saturday, February 4th at 2pm. The event will be on the grounds in heated tents. Parking is available at the Griffin Church of Christ (675 S. Hill St.).
Anita was born and raised in Griffin, Georgia. Anita attended West Georgia College and graduated from Georgia College in Milledgeville. She received her certification in physical therapy from the University of Tennessee in Memphis, where she met her loving husband, Ron. They moved to Melbourne, Florida where she started as a physical therapist at Brevard Crippled Children’s Clinic. They later moved to Atlanta, where she worked as a home health physical therapist for over 35 years.
On May 20, 1945, Kontz and Katherine Walker were blessed as it was the day that Anita Louise Walker came into the world. Anita had an older brother named Charles. They both grew up on the storybook property that was a former dairy farm. As such, they had two pet cows and the acreage to stir up their childhood imaginations. Charles was more the leader with Anita being his assistant. Later in life, after Charles passed, Anita published a book highlighting Charles’ creativity and adventures called, “A Potpourri Of My Life.” Since the words were Charles’, Anita gave him credit as the author even though she was the catalyst behind it.
In 2008, Anita began a multi-year project that would restore the Historic Homestead at 708 S. Hill Street into its original grandeur. In addition, the 15,000 sq.ft. building, where Charles operated his lighting business, was transformed into the museum called, “Walker Hill.” The museum documents American history for future generations, while engaging children of all ages with a 1916 Allan Herschell Carousel.
In 2021, after several years of effort, Anita was successful in getting the Historic Walker Hill Homestead listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This project was the capstone of Anita’s achievements.
Family was always important to Anita. She stayed in touch not only with immediate but also extended family. Making calls, writing letters and organizing family gatherings brought joy to Anita, which generated lasting memories.
The Walker family has a very historic heritage as well. They were part of the founding generation of Midway Church and Society in Midway, Georgia in the late 1700s. Anita enjoyed attending reunions of Midway Church descendants every April and October as often as she could.
Anita’s immediate family was the biggest investment of her life. A 52-year marriage to Ron Sr. began in 1970. The two of them met in Memphis during graduate school and were married at First Presbyterian Church in Griffin when it was located off of Taylor Street.
Being a mother brought significant joy to Anita. Her career allowed flexibility so that she was always home when her sons got home from school and she loved supporting them through school, activities, and life lessons. They always had her ear, heart, and any support she could provide. Anita instilled her faith in God to her family and wanted them to join her in Heaven. Nothing pleased her more than the entire family attending church together. She lived for those Sundays.
In recent years, Anita’s motherly tendencies extended to her granddaughters Anna and Kate. Anita made every effort to spend time with them even if it was only a short get together or to support them in gymnastics, school, or to simply play with them. She very much wanted to invest in the next generation of her family.
Anita’s adult life was constantly one of giving, particularly to the less fortunate who may have had physical challenges or were elderly. In 1989, she founded Handi Hotline to be a resource service that these individuals could use to find wheelchair accessible restaurants, hotels, and other visitor information. This was before the Internet when information was difficult to come by and many callers were aided by this service.
A few years later, Handi Hotline had a spin off called the “Blessing Brigade.” The mission statement said it all, “Give Yourself to God so You Can Give Yourself to Others.” The Blessing Brigade brought joy to many people through visits to nursing homes and retirement centers. Bringing joy into others’ lives was the biggest motivation to Anita and encapsulated her life. However, she did not like to be the center of attention and enjoyed watching others have the limelight even as her work made a difference in lives.
The reason for this giving spirit was Anita’s faith in God. In the summer of 1960, Anita placed her faith in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. She kept the letter from Camp Calvin that she wrote to herself documenting that experience. The Holy Spirit guided so many aspects of Anita’s vision and mission in life. She called her Bible her “most valuable possession” and looked forward to reading it daily. Often, Anita would highlight meaningful passages and write how the Lord was speaking to her. On January 29th, 2022, the Lord told her “welcome home” and “well done, good and faithful servant.”
Anita is survived by her husband, Ron; her son Ron Hoffman Jr of Griffin; her son and daughter-in-law Charles and Jessica Hoffman of Peachtree City; and her two granddaughters Anna and Kate.
