Close to 300 people attended a memorial service for former Gov. Phil Hoff on Saturday. Hoff died last month at the age of 93.
A number of current and former Vermont politicians attended the service at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul – including Gov. Phil Scott, former Gov. Jim Douglas and the entire Vermont congressional delegation.
Hoff’s election in 1962 marked a sea change in the state’s politics – he was the first Democratic governor in over 100 years.
At the service, Hoff’s long-time law partner Richard Cassidy offered a tribute to the former governor. He said Hoff’s six years as governor changed the face of Vermont.
“Philip Henderson Hoff did not shy away from the arena. He confronted the issues of the day and often the issues of the future,” Cassidy said.
As governor, Hoff pushed to reform state government and started a number of statewide offices and programs including the Vermont District Court system, the Vermont Council on the Arts and the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation.
Hoff was also the first Democratic governor in the country to split with President Lyndon Johnson and oppose the Vietnam War
