Born in Pittsburgh, PA on May 8, 1988, Emily Hoffman lived a life full of learning and adventure. She grew up in the city’s Point Breeze neighborhood, where she was living at time of her unexpected death in February 2023. She died from injuries sustained after being struck by a car, but in her death she gave the gift of life through organ donation.
Emily was a proud 2006 graduate of Winchester Thurston School, where she was a lifer and senior yearbook editor. In high school, Emily began the first of many global adventures, which included Broadreach sailing and scuba diving trips to the Caribbean and Egypt. An avid fan of The West Wing (perhaps its biggest fan!), she studied criminal justice at Northeastern University where she completed co-ops at the Defense Intelligence Agency, Department of Justice, and Sea Semester in the Caribbean.
Emily fit in many adventures both personally and professionally in her 34 years, including hiking the Camino de Santiago in 2013. After working as an investigator in the Boston Public Defender's office she pivoted to sailing, starting as a deckhand at the Flagship Niagara League and working her way up to day sail coordinator for the Erie Maritime Museum. While at Niagara she began experimenting with computer programming, which led her to Tech Elevator’s Pittsburgh coding bootcamp in 2019. She then worked as a software developer associate for PNC Bank before moving to IAM Robotics.
To honor her memory, her family has established this fund with original contributions collected through a GoFundMe campaign that began shortly after her death. The fund will be used to support STEM and experiential learning programs, along with other Pittsburgh nonprofits that were near and dear to Emily's heart. Learn more about Emily.