Mary Louise Hoffenbacker passed away on Friday, November 18, 2022, with her loving son, Aaron, at her side.  She was born April 21, 1943, in Painesdale, Michigan, to William and Helen (Kokonen) Hoffenbecker.

The Hoffenbecker family moved to Butte in August of 1943.  Her mom had her hands full, bringing four young children, one being a three-month old, to Butte aboard a military train.  Her dad had already come to Butte to work in the mines and find a place to live.  Her eldest brother, being 18, stayed in Michigan.  Shortly after the family moved to Butte, they changed the spelling of their name from Hoffenbecker to Hoffenbacker.  She attended local schools and eventually got her G.E.D.  For a short period of time, she was married to Gordon Helman.  They later divorced.  She then married James M. Babcock with whom she had one child.  They also divorced.

In the 60's, Mary worked as a Nurses Aide at St. James Hospital.  She also worked as a bartender at many local, watering holes.  In the 70's, early 80's, and again in the beginning of the 90's, she worked for, what she described as, the best kind of doctor, at Butte Veternary Clinic with Dr. E.K. Smith.  She absolutely loved her four-legged friends.  Beginning in 2000, she worked for Head Start as a foster grandparent.  As well as animals, she really loved working with little kids.  She retired in 2016, when her eyesight really began to fail. She was also a member of Gold Hill Lutheran Church.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Robert Hoffenbecker, and Vern, Ellsworth, Hubert, and Bruce Hoffenbacker; sisters-in-law, Diane (Bynes) Hofferbacker and Zale (Hanni) Hoffenbacker; nephew, Adam Hoffenbacker; and nieces, Patti Vender and Cindy (Hoffenbacker) Kendall.  She is survived by her son, Aaron William Hoffenbacker; brother, Dwight Hoffenbacker; sister, June Vender; brother and sisters-in-law, Gordon and Lina (Taber) Hoffenbacker, and Katherine (McEneny) Hoffenbacker; nieces, Laura, Carol, Janet, Adriane, Michelle, and Deborah; nephews, Greg, Steve, David, Bobby, Ray, Billy, Jimmy, Johnny, Jay, Joey, and Jerry; and numerous great nieces and nephews.  She is also survived by her cousin, Glen Hurn.

The family wishes to extend a special thank you to all the Enhabit Healthcare and Hospice nurses, especially Kelly and Heather, whom she called her angels, and her angel nurse from St. James and Enhabit, Mollie.  A big thank you to the Collins Family, from Jefferson Fresh Foods, for giving her son, Aaron, the time off to be by her bedside, and the time to heal; and to her friends, Geri, Cindy, Shirley, Jeanette, and Dee Dee for visiting her during her illness.

Friends may call on Monday, after 9:00 am, in the Duggan Dolan Mortuary Chapel.  Funeral Services will be conducted at 10:00 am.  In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to orcahope.org, for ovarian cancer research, Enhabit Hospice, or the animal charity of the donor's choice.