William Lamar Hooker, 84, of Kosciusko, Mississippi passed away Wednesday, October 25, 2023, at his residence. Visitation is 1:30 p.m. until 4:00 p.m., Sunday, October 29, 2023, at First Presbyterian Church of Kosciusko 603 Smythe Street Kosciusko, Mississippi 39090. Funeral service is at 4:00 p.m., Sunday, October 29, 2023, at First Presbyterian Church of Kosciusko603 Smythe Street Kosciusko, Mississippi. A burial will be held 10:00 a.m., Monday, October 30, 2023, at Kosciusko City Cemetery 823 South Huntington Street Kosciusko, Mississippi 39090. Rev. Larry Mills will officiate the funeral.
William was born October 19, 1939, in Greenville, Mississippi to Rev. William Bernard Hooker and Mary Hatcher Hooker. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Kosciusko. William was an expert Marksman in the Air National Guard and was Senior Chief Appraisal Director of the State of Mississippi Department of Transportation. He was the # 1 appraiser for the Mississippi Highway Department. William also worked in the court room as an expert witness for property values in legal matters. He was a member of the River Hills Tennis Club, Jackson, Mississippi, and a fine tennis player.
William is survived by his wife Gale Crawley Steele Hooker of Kosciusko, Mississippi; sons William Grice (Dee Dee) Hooker of Sarasota, Florida, Gregory Scott (Katie) Hooker of Covington, Louisiana, Clinton Lamar (Molly) Hooker of Denver, Colorado, and Michael Crawley (Shelby) Steele of Kosciusko, Mississippi; daughters Gale Suzanne Steele Wellborn (Ret Lt. Col Chris Wellborn) of Madison, Alabama, and Elizabeth Steele Kaiser (Mike) of Hendersonville, Tennessee; and 16 grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents Rev. William Bernard Hooker and Mary Hatcher Hooker, and daughter in law Holly Steele.
Serving as pallbearers are David E. Crawley, IV, Ret Lt. Col Chris Wellborn, Clay Moore, Clayton Crawley Moore, Johnny Halderman, Michael Tye Steele, and Bernard Boone. Serving as honorary pallbearers are Wyatt Emmerich, Kevin Ramage, Jimmy Ramage, Dr. Danny O’Keefe, Henri LaRose, Brent Habig, and Michael Crawley Steele.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to MTW First Presbyterian Church of Kosciusko 603 Smythe Street Kosciusko, Mississippi 39090.
Born in Greenville, MS, October 19, 1939, Lamar left us just 6 days after reaching his 84th birthday at home with Gale in Kosciusko. He married Gale after connecting at a reunion that included all Belhaven alumni in 1988. Gale and Lamar spent 35 years together and she was his loyal partner until the very last minute. Her love and kindness are a testament to her heart, which we appreciate; she loved him dearly. The pair was always together, mostly in a Lincoln, logging hundreds of thousands of miles traveling.
During a record setting blizzard in March 2003, Lamar, Gale and Scott drove to Colorado for the birth of Brady Hooker, so that Lamar could add a new title to his resume: Grandpa. That was a whole new game. He left this world with 6 grandchildren that carry his DNA and 10 more of Gale’s that gave him so much joy. He loved to observe them with curiosity, to see his mental and athletic lineage working, and was full of beaming pride. As the families intertwined, he enjoyed Gale’s children and their families, visiting them often, and watching them play sports. He loved them as his own, spoke of them with kindness and pride and was so intrigued by their intelligence. He was very grateful for them.
An avid reader, you could find him legs-crossed, reading glasses on his youthful face and barely greying hair, reading a big hard-backed book. A student of life, he was an inquisitive, history buff. He took his dream trip when he and Gale went to Europe for the first time with a large group of Belhaven alumni including a large number of adults and children, he turned himself into the spokesman on the tour bus as he told the stories of Normandy. His eloquence and his fervour was unmatched as he said: “These Americans that hit the beaches at Normandy were your age that you are right now, knowing that they may not come home. They fought for your freedom!” To all of the classmates and children, he evoked the entire bus into tears as he spoke through his own.
Lamar loved sports. He loved to play and he loved to talk sports. He was a quarterback in junior high school in Arkansas and he played basketball for McGee High School lettering in 5 sports. Later he attended Belhaven College on a basketball scholarship bur he also played on the Belhaven tennis team. He played singles mostly and as he aged he played doubles. He could run down any ball and place it wherever he wanted to put it on the court. He was known for his killer backhand. He loved traveling to his USTA tournaments throughout the Southeast and was often seen in his full white tennis attire, including during Wednesday night meals at Church. You just knew he had racquets and a fresh can of balls in the car. He loved following the boys in whatever sport they were into: soccer, tennis, or baseball. He would never allow any of his children to act out on the court or smash a racquet.
As Lamar aged, his personality softened and he became more and more verbal about his feelings. He sparkled brightly when he spoke of his 3 boys, even as they all entered their 50s. Always one to express his gratitude for you being a part of his family, he shared “I love you’s” often and with true honesty. He never received a gift without calling to express his appreciation, or a photo to express his amazement at the beauty of the grandchild or the talent of the person behind it.
Our family will miss the hysterical stories that were probably hilarious to Gale, of lost iPhones, misplaced wallets and keys that were “you’ve moved my keys.” He recently in his 83rd year, lost a wallet faster than he has ever lost one – making it only to dinner before a complete stranger showed up to ask if he had left his wallet in the men’s restroom. After that, he told Gale that he set that up as a prank, but she knew better. He was so proud of his father and his incredible service to our country as a soldier in WWI and then a Chaplain in WWII right alongside General George C. Patton. He loved his mother and believed with every ounce of his being that she was truly perfect. He loved Edwards where his family lived and loved his neighbors. He loved his children, their wives, and their children. He loved his tennis community and his church family. He loved Gale and their ventures together.
Lastly, we thank his loving caretakers for the 10 weeks of 24/7 care: Sarah and Bernard Boone, Maria Jones, Nurse Feeme, CNA Janet and Halcyon Hospice Philadelphia and the loving tenants of Court Square Village. For online condolences, visit www.jordanfuneralhome.com.
For online condolences, visit www.jordanfuneralhome.com.
