Family and friends remembered St. Thomas political science chair Steve Hoffman as a man dedicated to his students, his community and the university Monday morning at the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Hoffman, 63, died of complications from a stroke Nov. 23. He came to St. Thomas in 1987 and taught students in public policy and American government. Hoffman was also the founding director of the environmental studies program.

About 250 people attended the service, including St. Thomas president Julie Sullivan. The Rev. Larry Snyder, vice president of mission, said the funeral Mass.

“He demanded very high standards,” political science professor Renee Buhr said. “He expected a lot out of you, but he was just really generous and would back you up no matter what. Really the perfect fearless leader.”

Sullivan, who spoke at the Mass, said afterward, “He was one of the faculty members who really led the initiative to start our environmental studies program, and I think he would be very proud of the progress that we’ve made in sustainability, and also, he will be inspiring us from above to keep up that work.”

A St. Louis native, Hoffman was an energy policy expert and author or editor of several papers and books on the subject. He led study abroad programs in New Zealand and Eastern Europe, and he was scheduled to spend a sabbatical in the United Kingdom next spring.

“He has so many different facets to his personality. He was able to be a really good educator, but at the same time he could be your friend,” 2013 graduate Jaqi Childers said. “He could be really funny and really sarcastic and then next he’s trying to teach you something from one of the many corners of the world he’s been.”

Chelsea Petersen, who was an advisee of Hoffman’s, said it’s been difficult to come to terms with his sudden death.

“He was always challenging you to do better and to be better and to strive for bigger and better things,” Petersen said. “It’s hard.”

A reception was held in his honor at Woulfe Alumni Hall following the Mass.

“I think he loved and cared about his students, and he wanted his students to be aware of what their potential was,” Sullivan said.