In memoriam Dean Gunnar Hoffman May 8, 1949 – November 11, 2022 Dean Hoffman was a caring mentor, an insightful mathematician, an intense backgammon player, an engaging speaker, and a very effective teacher. He received the BA from Union College in 1970, began graduate studies at University of Michigan, and earned the PhD from University of Waterloo in 1976 under David Klarner and Ron Mullin. He began work at Auburn University in 1977 and was still guiding students at the time of his passing. He directly supervised over 20 PhD students, but inspired, guided, and motivated hundreds more. His teaching style was both traditionally engaging and unique to him – many of his former students have adopted components of his classroom presence Dean Hoffman’s published research includes over a hundred papers, chapters, and books on graph theory, design theory, number theory, and puzzles. More likely, he will be remembered by his collaborators for his unscheduled calls, emai