If you’ve been to any Fair Haven event in the past few years, then you know that there’s one thing you can count on — seeing Recreation Director Charlie Hoffmann darting around, deliberately dotting the backdrop only, doing his job of piecing it all together for a smooth run with little quips of conversation and a walkie-talkie in hand.

In three weeks, that sort of Fair Haven scene will be missing its skirting-the-scenes ringleader. Hoffmann resigned on Tuesday morning to take an opportunity he was offered to advance his career in a different direction.

“His last event will be Veterans Day,” Mayor Ben Lucarelli said. “We’re a little sad but also happy for Charlie. He’s accepted a position in another industry and was good enough to tell us what he had on the board and three weeks’ notice. He has aspirations and we support him and wish him well.”

Hoffmann has been the borough’s recreation director for four years and, Lucarelli said, has always gone above and beyond the routine scope of work for the job.

“Charlie’s programs really hit the full spectrum of activities,” Lucarelli said. “He didn’t just run kids’ programs or athletics. He ran a great seniors program, did a fabulous job organizing centennial events and started some new, innovative initiatives, like the Couch Potato Program which got a group of girls out and organizing a 5K and the Eagle program for disabled kids. And when Charlie’s around, there are never any issues to deal with, because he takes care of everything so that things run smoothly.”

On a side note, Lucarelli added that Hoffmann was also a great help to him when he took over as mayor, having never been one, mid-term when Michael Halfacre resigned to accept the position of state Alcoholic Beverage Control director.

“He filled me in on any background information I needed, wrote speeches for me and was always there,” the mayor said. “He was really very helpful to me. He always had every tidbit of information I needed on anything.”

Hoffmann, though affable and well-liked, shies away from accolades, not to mention public proclamations.  

He did, however, take a moment to tell Patch that he will miss his the borough and its people.

“Fair Haven has been a great place for me for the past four years,” Hoffmann said. “It’s a town full of great people and great memories for me.”

And Fair Haven will have its own Charlie Hoffmann memories as well.

Good luck, Charlie!

 Something that Charlie Hoffmann is known for ducking, consciously, is the camera. It’s tough to get a photo of him at any event. But he’s there.

Patch is challenging readers to a “Where’s Charlie?” contest. Can you find Charlie in any of the attached photos?