LeRoy E. "Roy" Hoffberger, a Baltimore lawyer, philanthropist and art collector who was a co-founder of the American Visionary Art Museum and endowed the LeRoy E. Hoffberger Graduate School of Painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art, died Wednesday of congestive heart failure at Gilchrist Hospice Care in Towson. He was 91.
"We are so, so sad to hear of Roy's passing. Last year, we were able to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the LeRoy Hoffberger Graduate School of Painting, and it was a wonderful occasion," said Samuel "Sammy" Hoi, MICA president.
"Roy was an extremely warm and generous person, and was an astute businessman who brought his business acumen to his work at MICA," Mr. Hoi said. "He had a tremendous human touch. He was always open-minded and happy and eager to engage in conversation. As a donor, he believed in the fundamental impact of an art education."
"He always loved art, beautiful women and social justice," said Rebecca Alban Hoffberger, founder, director and principal curator of the American Visionary Art Museum, and Mr. Hoffberger's former wife. "He had this great, unbounded capacity and enthusiasm whenever he focused on something, and it made him a leader.
"His whole life was ultimately trying to make Baltimore a kinder and a more interesting place for everybody," she said. "He had the capacity to weep when he was deeply moved by something, and this was the way he conducted his life."
The son of Jacob H. Hoffberger, a businessman, and Mildred G. Hoffberger, a homemaker, LeRoy Edward Hoffberger was born in Baltimore and raised on Bancroft Road in Upper Park Heights.
He attended Forest Park High School and graduated in 1943 from the Peddie School in Hightstown, N.J. He obtained a bachelor's degree in 1947 from Princeton University and a law degree in 1950 from the University of Maryland School of Law.
Mr. Hoffberger began his legal career with Hoffberger & Hollander, which merged in 1972 with Gordon Feinblatt and Rothman. He became of counsel to the combined firm, Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger & Hollander.
Mr. Hoffberger's business interests were varied. He was president and director of CPC Inc. and Keystone Realty Co. Inc., general partner of Churchill Investments and World-Wide Rights Co. Limited N.A., director of BTR Realty Inc. and Equitable Bancorp, and treasurer/director of National Brewing Co. and Blum's Inc.
In the early 1960s, Mr. Hoffberger joined with cousins Stanley Hoffberger, a developer, and Jerold C. Hoffberger, owner of the National Brewing Co. and the Baltimore Orioles, in developing Montgomery County's Churchill Village in the new community of Germantown.
The Hoffberger Brothers Fund was established in 1941, and Mr. Hoffberger was serving as president of the Hoffberger Brothers Fund in 1963 when the fund was renamed the Hoffberger Foundation. Today, the foundation is the Hoffberger Family Philanthropies.
The foundation, one of Maryland's largest philanthropic funds and one of Baltimore's greatest benefactors, supports hospitals, health care services, Jewish scholarships, artists and various cultural institutions and medical research — especially in the areas of Alzheimer's and aging. Mr. Hoffberger had served as its chairman.
Grants from the foundation in 1987 established the Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics at the University of Baltimore and, in 1999, the Hoffberger Foundation for Torah Studies. It also supports the Elijah Cummings Youth Program in Israel, which underwrites the cost of sending high school students to study in the country.
Mr. Hoffberger expressed his philosophy of helping his fellow man on the cover of his 2014 memoir "Measure of a Life," in which he wrote, "What we leave behind is far more important than how far we get ahead."
In his book, he said everyone is here for a purpose: "To serve our fellow man and God."
An avid collector of art, especially German Expressionist and Austrian Secessionist works, Mr. Hoffberger founded and endowed the LeRoy E. Hoffberger School of Painting at MICA in 1965. In 2011, it was renamed the LeRoy E. Hoffberger Graduate School of Painting.
"Roy was always generous with both his time and money," said Fred Lazarus IV, MICA's president emeritus. "He was, in my opinion, one of the best trustees that I've ever had to work with."
Mr. Hoffberger also served as chairman of MICA's board.
"He was committed to the mission of the school. He loved artists and what MICA did. He was a mentor to me and a very good friend," Mr. Lazarus said. "He was also a great fundraiser and wasn't afraid to talk to people. He loved giving his support to causes."
Mr. Hoi said: "Roy believed in what artists could do for society, and he believed in what impact young artists could make on all of us."
In 2012, when Mr. Hoffberger retired from his business interests, he received an honorary doctorate in humane letters from MICA. In 2013, he was inducted into MICA's Legacy Society.
In 1995, he was co-founder of the American Visionary Art Museum with his then-wife Rebecca A. Hoffberger. In order to raise money for the new museum, he sold some of his prized German Expressionist works at Christie's in London.
The remainder of his German Expressionist collection was sold in June at Kornfeld Gallery in Bern, Switzerland, with proceeds benefiting the graduate school and creating a scholarship for future students.
"The Austrian Secessionist art will be given to the Baltimore Museum of Art," said his wife of five years, Paula Gately Tillman-Hoffberger, a Baltimore artist and photographer.
The Colonnade resident enjoyed classical music in addition to art.
He was a member of Chizuk Amuno Congregation.
Mr. Hoffberger wrote in his book, "We're all here for a purpose, and I believe I have fulfilled my raison d'etre."
Funeral services for Mr. Hoffberger will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at Sol Levinson & Bros. Inc., 8900 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Hoffberger is survived by two sons, Jack W. Hoffberger of Baltimore and Douglas M. Hoffberger of Ruxton; two stepdaughters, Athena Alban Hoffberger of Baltimore and Belina Rafy of Germany; a brother, Stanley Hoffberger of Houston; and three grandchildren. A marriage to Hilda Voss also ended in divorce.