Carol Eleanor Hoffecker, born December 29, 1938, to Ralph and Kathryn (Zebley) Hoffecker, died October 30, 2026, at Wesley Willows in Rockford, Illinois, with her loved ones by her side. Carols passing marked the end of a life dedicated to scholarship and education, friends and travel, and more particularly to the University of Delaware.

After graduating with honors from the University of Delaware in 1960, off Carol went to Radcliffe College, the women's then counterpart to Harvard University. In 1962, Carol completed her MA from Radcliffe. Disappointingly, this was just one year before Harvard countersigned Radcliffe degrees. Carol earned her Ph. D in 1967 from Harvard when women had taken a step up in the world. And then there was no stopping Dr. Hoffecker!

Always laser focused, Carol returned to her beloved Delaware and completed a fellowship at the Hagley Museum and Library, and coordinated the Hagley Graduate Program before dedicating 30 years to her dream job as a Professor of History at the University of Delaware. Among her many awards, the University recognized Carol with the Richard's Professor (1982), the Francis Allison Faculty Award (1998), the University of Delaware Medal of Distinction (1998), and the University of Delaware Doctorate in Humanities (2009). Nationally, the Carnegie Foundation named Carol the Delaware Professor of the year in 1999. Carol left her imprint on the University, her students, and the entire state of Delaware as a premier historian and author of 18 books and 20 articles. And she even told good jokes, too!

Always good company, Carol loved to travel with her friends throughout the United States and abroad: from Scandinavian countries, through Europe, and into Morocco, by train, plane, automobile, and ship. She could be found at museums, baseball games, tennis matches, lectures, symphonies, and theatres. If there was action, Carol wanted in!

Carol is survived by her cherished friend, colleague, and often co-author, Dr. Barbara E. Benson; dear brother, John (Donna); niece, Jennifer; nephew, Andrew and their families; and her honorary family, Brenda Benson Segura (Gail); their daughters, Hilary and Megan Zust (Jonathan); and their children, Eleanor, Amelia, and Henry.

Not only will Carol long be remembered for her dedication to education, but also for her zest for life, unflagging spirit, thirst for knowledge, and love of singing. Carol could always find an opportunity to break into song or lead her friends in song, no doubt securing a well-earned spot in the celestial choir. Carol blessed many lives with her presence and may she now rest in peace.

A Celebration of Life will be on Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Auditorium in the Castle Town Center of Wesley Willows, 4142 Johns Farm Road, Rockford, IL 61101.