A Tribute to Dennis

Our community was deeply saddened last month by the passing of Dennis Hoffarth, a member of Dancing Rabbit for the past seven years. Dennis was a dear friend, builder, community elder, and teacher who, in his humble way, influenced many.

Dennis was a native of North Dakota. At a young age he learned much about simple living; his father lost everything he had in a barn fire, and then supported the family by working double shifts at a potato chip factory. Dennis attended the University of North Dakota, where he earned a degree in engineering. In his early adulthood he sought to explore the world, landing as a Vista Volunteer in Austin, Texas. There he had his first taste of advocacy and activism, working with Mexican-American families on tenants’ rights issues.

Dennis moved to Atlanta in 1973 where, over the next 35 years, he had a profound effect on the city, devoting himself to many environmental causes. Dennis began his career working for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. In 1978 he helped to create the beginnings of Southface Energy Institute, whose mission is to promote sustainable homes, workplaces, and communities through education, research, advocacy and technical assistance. He co-founded a major recycling center, as well as an organization focused on stopping the proliferation of nuclear power plants. In 1986, he ran for Georgia Public Service Commission as a protest candidate. Though always soft-spoken, Dennis learned to be outspoken on the issues he was passionate about.

Dennis also had deep roots in his Atlanta neighborhood. Long before “urban homesteading” became popular, Dennis transformed his urban lot into an orchard and garden, sharing produce with his neighbors. He heated his home with a wood stove, and got around the city by bike.

A lifelong transportation cyclist, Dennis went on to co-found the Atlanta Bicycle Campaign, an organization dedicated to promoting bicycle transportation and use in the metro Atlanta region. As the Executive Director, Dennis became the region’s face of bicycling, going to countless public hearings, organizing events, and teaching bicycle safety and maintenance. “We’re saving the world by bike,” he would often say.

In 2007, Dennis and his partner Sharon Bagatell left Atlanta to pursue life in an intentional community. After two years at Earthaven Ecovillage, they moved to Dancing Rabbit, where they designed and built Robinia, their permaculture homestead. Dennis was an active member of many committees, including Land Use Planning and Policy, Agriculture, and the Dancing Rabbit Vehicle Co-op. He was instrumental in designing Crooked Route road and drainage system, as well as a village-wide greywater system. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of Dancing Rabbit’s nonprofit branch.

Dennis willingly shared his knowledge and passion about sustainable living, permaculture, and energy-efficient home building, as well as his love for singing, dancing, and bicycling with many. Surrounded by community members, friends, and family, Dennis passed away on July 15th due to brain cancer.

During his illness, Dennis reflected on his time at Dancing Rabbit and his awareness of the critical importance of connection and interdependence among humans: "I learned from Dancing Rabbit that in order to change the world, we need to work in concert rather than independently.”

A celebration of Dennis’s life, complete with bicycles, singing, and story sharing, was held at Dancing Rabbit on July 18th. Dennis had requested to be buried under an oak tree in a wild wooded area of Dancing Rabbit, so the community buried him on Mullein Hill, embraced by a semi-circle of oak trees planted years ago by Dancing Rabbit members in the very early days of the community.

Our community and all whose lives he touched will dearly miss Dennis.

Many thanks to Nancy Bagatell (Sharon's sister) and Sharon for crafting this lovely tribute.