Voted the Snow Queen of Calaveras County California in 1940 at age 17, owner of a cosmetic firm from the 60’s into the 21st century, loving wife, mother and sister, Grace Teresa Hoffman passed away, with a smile on her face, on Tuesday, March 4 after a brief illness.
Grace was born in Manteca, CA,in 1923. She attended Yosemite Elementary school where at an early age she excelled in the lost art of penmanship. Anyone who has ever received a letter or a thank you note from Grace, and they were numerous, can testify that her handwriting was as beautiful as she was.
Grace graduated from Manteca High School in 1940 and two years later, met and married Air Force Lieutenant, Bill Daniels. Two years later, while stationed in Douglas, Arizona, daughter Carole was born. Twelve years later, son Johnny was born in Sumter, South Carolina, where she founded “Grace Daniels, School of Modeling” It was this expertise that led her to become a national judge for the Miss America and Miss Universe pageants.
   Grace remarried in 1969 and to prove she had a flair for the dramatic, she exchanged vows with former Air Force pilot Dick Hoffman on the day that America’s Neil Armstrong became the first person to land on the moon. Grace loved to sing karaoke before there was karaoke and she knew all the standards. One of her favorites “Darktown Strutters’s Ball” which she, more than once, belted out in Sicilian. That was Grace.
   Preceded in death by her parents, Michele and Michelina Cala and her siblings, Sadie Cabral and Alfonso Cala, Grace is survived by her husband of 44-years, Dick Hoffman, her daughter Carole Davis, her son John Daniels ( Becky ), grandchildren, Dr. Grayce Davis (Jackson), Dr. Paul T. Davis, (Tabatha), Kati Davis Bukowsky ( Brody), and Morgann Daniels, two great-grandchildren, Haley Davis and Thomas Davis, and a soon-to be third, from the Bukowskys. She also leaves her dearest brother Joseph and his wife Suzi, step daughters, Barbara Palmatary (Rich) and son Bill, Beverly Fuglsby (Rick), daughters Emily and Lindsey, and step grandaughter Erin Lima. She is also survived by her close cousins, the Ferrara Family and many loving neices and nephews, friends and her dog Sadie, who was devoted to her.
”......So many people were touched by your always giving nature and gorgeous soul,..... Heaven gained a special angel”
“.......Nostra dolce, dolce Graziella, si sara sempre amato. (My sweet. sweet Grace, we will always love you)
   In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, The Susan Komen Foundation or to a charity of your choice.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be on March 18th at 11 a.m. at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, 505 E. North Street, Manteca, CA. Burial will be private.
Arrangements for Grace’s services are under the direction of Evans-Brown Funeral Home. Condolences and special messages may be sent to Evansbrown.com

Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin
Thursday, March 13, 2014