1964 Alum, Leo Hoffman, Reflects on Baseball, Perseverance, and a Life Well Lived

On a picture-perfect October morning during Dean College’s 2024 Homecoming weekend, Leo Hoffman stepped up to home plate 60 years after graduating. Back when it was a junior college, Leo played for Dean’s varsity baseball team for two years, graduating in 1964 with his associate’s degree.

Now, at 80 years young, Leo was back on the field participating in Dean’s annual alumni baseball game like no time had passed. Inspiring us all with his positive attitude and nostalgia for his experience at Dean, we were thrilled to have an opportunity to catch up with this special alumnus.

Leo played third base during his time at Dean and the lessons he learned extended far beyond the diamond. As he reminisced about his experience on the team, it became clear that the bonds formed were foundational to his growth and taught him invaluable lessons about collaboration, camaraderie, and resilience.  

The thrill of winning the New England Junior College Championship in 1964 stands out as a pinnacle moment in Leo’s life, evoking a sense of pride and accomplishment that still resonates decades later. When asked how his team managed to pull off that epic victory, Leo explained, “Well, I'll tell you something, it's the teamwork. The guys that we had on the 1964 team were individually some terrific athletes, but the teamwork between us was the most important aspect. Learning to get along with the guys and having a good time, but also supporting each other through it all. That was the most important thing.”

After getting his associate’s degree from Dean, Leo went on to earn his bachelor’s and Master in Business Administration (MBA) from American University. The discipline, teamwork, and strategic thinking developed during his college baseball days were all skills that Leo carried into his profession, quickly climbing the ladder within the toy industry. Having traveled all over the world for his career, Leo has gained a unique, global perspective on life but calls Long Island, NY home with his wife of 54 years, Jan. They have raised two children and are proud grandparents to four grandkids.

“After getting my MBA, I became a brand manager for Aurora® Toys and was there for nine years before moving on to a Japanese toy company called Takara. I was then named the VP of Marketing and Sales for Buddy L Toys, a Hong Kong-based company.  After that, I began working for Supertoys as their VP of Marketing and Sales and was with them for over 23 years. I continue to do some consulting within the toy industry, so that keeps me busy and out of trouble,” Leo explained with a laugh.

With his decades of business success, we were eager to hear Leo’s advice for those just starting out in their careers. He said, “Have at least an idea of what you think you want to do and then put a plan down in writing. Stick to it and it will eventually happen. Don’t worry. Also, when I was getting my master’s, we studied a Harvard case study method approach that I have always remembered. Simply stated, it taught me that you should make a list of positives and negatives when analyzing something and I’ve just done that my entire life and it seems to have worked.”

While visiting Dean, Leo got to know some of the current players and it demonstrates so perfectly how the spirit of baseball continues to foster connections between the generations. He even exchanged his personal information with a few of them and hopes to keep in touch. Even after six decades, the sense of belonging to the Bulldog community endures.

“If it wasn’t for Dean, I don’t think I would have turned out to be the kind of person I am today, and it really set the tone for my life. I knew I could do much better academically than I did in high school, and I left Dean with straight As. It got me into American University, which was wonderful. The professors that I had at Dean were terrific and they were so involved with my well-being and that meant a lot,” Leo shared.

We were thrilled to be able to welcome Leo back to Dean after all these years. He shared that he hoped he would be remembered as someone who was well-respected and thought of as a good person. Well, Leo, we think you’ve hit a home run in life!