John Oliver Hooper

John O Hooper died on 30 Jan 2019 after a short battle with cancer.  He was 88.

John was the son of Edward Hooper and Clara Fleischauer of Southfield, Michigan.    He served in the U.S. Air Force between 1951 and 1954, receiving an honorable discharge at the rank of Airman First Class after spending two years in Japan during the Korean War.  He graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 1959 with a B.S. degree in mathematics plus training in secondary education, followed by graduate course work in physics at U.C. Riverside. John's scientific and engineering career started at the Naval Ordnance Laboratory, Corona, California, with a subsequent transfer to the Naval Weapons Center, China Lake, California in 1971.  He retired from Federal Service in 1986 but later worked for Merit Technology and Comarco until 1994.

John loved science and math, and he promoted learning at every opportunity.  He served in the Peace Corps in 1963 and 1964, teaching math, physics, and chemistry at the Sultan Ismail School in Kemaman, Malaysia.   He was a strong advocate for critical thinking.   He supported public television, local museums and many non-profit organizations promoting education and health for the underprivileged.  He loved to travel around the world, including a recent trip to the North Cape of Norway with his companion Lucette.  However, John's greatest passion was skiing.   While he did not start skiing until his 40s, he never missed a year after that.  He loved ripping down the hill with his son Eric, his companion Lucette, or his nieces and nephews.

John was preceded in death by his sisters Dorothy and Alice. He is survived by his son, Eric; his companion of 20 years, Lucette Poulin; plus nieces and nephews who loved him dearly.

He will be incredibly missed.

A celebration of life will be held in Michigan among his family and friends at a later time.