Julian T. “Buz” Hoff, MD, died peacefully at home on April 16, surrounded by his loving family, following a seven-month battle with acute leukemia.
Dr. Hoff was a graduate of Stanford University, where he received his A.B. degree. He attended Cornell Medical College, graduating in 1962. He completed his neurosurgical training in 1970 at New York Hospital under the mentorship of Bronson Ray and went on to the University of California at San Francisco where he quickly rose to the rank of professor. Dr. Hoff left San Francisco in 1981 to head the section of neurosurgery at the University of Michigan, where he trained nearly 50 neurosurgeons over 25 years. He was appointed the Richard C. Schneider Professor in 1992. The section became a department in 2001, and Dr. Hoff served as its first chair from 2001 to 2005.
Dr. Hoff’s distinguished career in neurosurgery included service on the editorial boards of major neurosurgical journals. He was co-chair of the editorial board for the Journal of Neurosurgery from 1997 to 1999. He was the author of numerous papers and book chapters, plus the editor of several books. He received funding from the National Institutes of Health continuously from 1972 to his retirement from clinical neurosurgery in 2006.
He twice received the prestigious Jacob Javitz Award for Neuroscience Research and was a member of the Institute of Medicine National Academy of Science since 1999. He received the Cushing Medal from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Grass Prize from the Society of Neurological Surgeons, was the honored guest of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Caldwell High School in Caldwell, Idaho. In 2007 the Society of Neurological Surgeons honored him with the Distinguished Service Award.
Dr. Hoff served in executive positions in every major neurosurgical society including the American Academy of Neurological Surgeons, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. He was a member of the residency review committee for neurosurgery from 1987 to 1993.
Dr. Hoff was particularly beloved for his strong leadership abilities that were displayed in a collegial and kind fashion. He was a respected leader and always remained a true gentleman. Whenever a complex job needed to be done, Dr. Hoff was selected by organized neurosurgery or the University of Michigan to perform that job, and he did so with wisdom and an affable personality. A strong advocate of resident education, he sought to create a collegial environment in which even the most complex political and scientific issues could be discussed in a fashion of warmth and openness.
Dr. Hoff was especially pleased that in 2006 the Department of Neurosurgery completed an endowed chair honoring him. The department also established a Resident Education and Research Fund in Dr. Hoff’s name to continue his outstanding legacy of leadership in academic neurosurgery and his longstanding support of resident education.
Dr. Hoff is survived by his wife of 45 years, Diane (Shanks) Hoff, three children, Paul Hoff, MD (Donna Hoff, MD), Allison Hoff, MA, and Julia (Michael) Haughey, MSW, and five grandchildren, Lauren Hoff, Kiersten Hoff, Kathryn Haughey, Kelly Haughey, and Charles Haughey.
A memorial service was held in May. The family asked that contributions be sent to The Caldwell High School Julian T. Hoff Memorial Scholarship Fund in care of the Caldwell Foundation for Educational Opportunity, Kathy O’Banon, 2311 Arlington Ave., Caldwell, ID 83605, to The Boy Scouts of America, or to the Julian T. Hoff Resident Research and Education Fund in care of Michelle Bard, University of Michigan Department of Neurosurgery, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, 3470 Taubman Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5338.
Karin Muraszko, MD, is the Julian T. Hoff Professor and chair in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Michigan.