Elizabeth Walpole Hofmeister

Elizabeth “Liz” Walpole Hofmeister passed away at the Keswick MultiCare Center in Baltimore, MD on May 28, 2026, after a prolonged illness. She was born in Oneonta, NY on December 29, 1945. Liz was predeceased by her husband of 40 years, Ralph Hofmeister, and her parents Frederick R. Walpole and Margaret Shimer Walpole. She is survived by her brothers Bruce E. Walpole and David T. Walpole, her nieces and nephews Mark Walpole, Kara Walpole Oskam, Nathan Walpole and Rachel Walpole Cody, her cousin Steven Price , and her stepchildren Kathryn Watt, Christine Hofmeister, Gretchen Hofmeister, and Tad Homeister and their families.

Liz grew up in Oneonta, NY and the rural communities of Roxbury, NY and Dimock, PA. As a child, Liz was a voracious reader. Love of knowledge continued throughout her life. She graduated as Valedictorian from Elk Lake School District in 1964. She obtained her Associate Degree with a concentration in Political Science from Keystone College in 1966, a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from American University in 1968 and a Masters Degree in Journalism from Ohio State University in 1972. 

Liz worked as a reporter for the Morning Times News Paper Publishing Company in Sayer, PA for a few years before moving to Washington DC to work for the US Department of the Interior Department and US Bureau of Mines. Liz then pursued a journalism career as a reporter/editor with The Daily Labor Report which was a specialized publication owned by the Bureau of National Affairs(BNA), the oldest privately held, wholly employee-owned company in the United States. The Bureau of National Affairs (now Bloomberg Industry Group) was an information service that published newsletters and other communications on a range of law and public policy issues. On the staff of the Daily Labor Report, Liz covered labor and employee relations issues and their impact on businesses and workers. 

Liz remained at the Daily Labor Report for nearly 23 years before taking an editorial position with the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), a religious lobby organization that advocates for legislation addressing Quaker concerns such as reduced military spending, nuclear disarmament, economic and social justice, and environmental sustainability. She remained with FCNL as a managing editor of its monthly newsletter for five years before retiring and living in nearby Maryland. 

Among her passions were gardening and cooking, and Liz was often cooking what she had gardened. She tended a number of ornamental plants, but most of her work went to the kitchen garden. Cooking from her own garden aligned well with her values of healthful foods and sustainability, and she never met a recipe she couldn’t improve upon. Her soups were legendary; Ralph ate a bowl of her hearty, healthy soup for lunch every day.

Liz and Ralph were members of the Bethesda Friends Meeting. It is here where they met and eventually married in 1984. They greatly enjoyed hiking, canoeing and cross-country skiing. They traveled together to many exotic locations and third world countries, often on educational tours, learning local culture and language. In the last few years of their marriage, Liz and Ralph decided to move from their home in Bethesda to Asbury Methodist Village, in Gaithersburg, MD. Liz had a plot in the community garden at Asbury, and tucked edible plants into the beds around their cottage.

In her retirement, Liz continued to put her liberal philosophies into practice; she expressed her moral urge for fairness by advocating for and supporting various social justice causes. She volunteered with the Gaithersburg Beloved Community Initiative and was also part of the Montgomery County Master Gardener program for many years. 

The family would like to extend special thanks to Kara Walpole Oskam and Kathryn Watt for their dedication and care for Liz during her final years. 

A memorial service for Liz is scheduled for Sunday, Sep. 6 at 2pm at the Bethesda Friends Meeting House. Following the service, Liz’s ashes will be spread in the memorial grove at Sandy Spring Friends Meeting House.