Vincent A. “Jiggs” Hoftender, age 86, of East Dubuque, IL, passed away on Monday, August 3, 2026, at UPH-Finley Hospital in Dubuque, Iowa, surrounded by family.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, August 7, 2026, at St. Mary’s Church in East Dubuque, with Fr. Xavier Santiago officiating. Burial will follow in East Dubuque Cemetery.

Family and friends may call from 3;00 – 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 6, 2026 at the Miller Funeral Home in East Dubuque, where the parish prayer service will be held at 2:30 p.m. Thursday. Members of the East Dubuque Volunteer Fire Department will meet at the funeral home at 6:00 p.m. Thursday.

If you ever spent more than five minutes with Jiggs Hoftender, you probably walked away with at least one of his famous lines, most likely “Awesome!” or his legendary business slogan: “No job too big, no job too small, Vinnie does ’em all.” And if you were one of his kids waking up on 10 Mile Island, you heard him holler “Ahoy the island!” at sunrise, whether you wanted to or not.

Jiggs was born to Vincent L. and Maria A. (Loeffelholz) Hoftender, on August 14, 1939 in Jamestown Twp. of Grant County, WI. On July 11, 1959, he married the love of his life, Modesta Mae “Sis” Splinter. Together they raised eight children, six boys and two girls. A feat that alone qualifies him for some kind of lifetime achievement award. Surviving him are Keith (Kathy) of Dubuque, IA, Mark (Vicki) of Raymond, IA, Lori Schulting (John) of Verona, WI, Jeff (Julie) of Burlington, IA, David (Tracy) of Springdale, AR, and Pam Luchterhand (Kris) of Ormond Beach, FL, his daughter-in-law, Paula Hoftender of Davenport, IA. He also leaves behind 25 grandchildren and 21 greatgrandchildren, all of whom inherited at least a little of his stubbornness, humor, and knack for fixing things with whatever tools happened to be nearby. His siblings, Leroy Hoftender, Shirley (Rick) Gassman, Pat Gross, Gerald “Moe” (Lynn) Hoftender, sister-in-law, Deanna Hoftender, and brother-in-law, Herbert Brimeyer.

He is preceded in death by his wife Modesta; sons Tom and Steve; his parents; siblings Bobby, Raymond, Donald, and Rosie; his sisters-in-law, Virginia Hoftender and Clemantha Hoftender and brother-in-law, Roger Gross, plus many extended family members who no doubt greeted him with a joyful “Ahoy!” on the other side.

Jiggs worked at John Deere for 35 years, proving that yes, a man can hold down a fulltime job while also repairing boat motors, lawn mowers, and every bicycle his kids managed to break, often within 24 hours of being fixed. In his “spare time” (a mythical concept for a father of eight), he loved snowmobiling, hunting, and serving on the East Dubuque Volunteer Fire Department, and was a former member  of U.A.W. Local # 94.

Family was everything to him. During John Deere shutdowns, he’d load everyone onto a houseboat and head down the Mississippi for two weeks of camping on 10 Mile Island, a tradition that became the stuff of family legend. He cherished those memories, and in later years, cherished the simple moments just as much.

Jiggs faced a long, courageous battle with lung cancer, meeting it with the same grit and positivity he brought to everything else. His mindset, live life while you can live it, inspired everyone around him. In his final year, he checked off bucketlist items, spent time with the people he loved, and formed a special bond with Harley, his daughter’s dog, affectionately known as his “little buddy.”

He also shared many dinners and laughs with his dear friend and companion, Carol Lattner and her family, who brought joy and comfort to his later years.

His family wishes to give special thanks to Helen Digman for her assistance in caring for Jiggs.

Jiggs leaves behind a legacy of humor, hard work, resilience, and love, and a family who will forever hear his voice shouting “Ahoy the island!” every time the sun comes up.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.millerfhed.com©