Born as Virginia Ritsman in Toledo, Ohio, she attended the Art Academy of Cincinnati from 1938-1942 with James Flora and Richard Staples Dodge.
In early 1944, at the request of Flora who had recently been promoted to Art Director at Columbia Records, she moved to Westport, Connecticut.
[2] Closely associated with the Joy of Cooking aesthetic, her illustrations continue to be used through the current edition.
For 27 years, between 1958 and 1986, Hofmann drew the paper dolls feature in Betsy McCall magazine.
Hofmann wrote and illustrated a series of children's books about the comforts and companionship of the teddy bear.