Dan Hooker

Dan Hooker passed away peacefully in Brooklyn, Connecticut on May 18. Born in Barre, Vermont on June 23, 1936, Dan and his family resided in multiple Eastern states in the course of his working career.

Dan was predeceased by his wife, Betty Ann Hooker, and by his parents, Neale and Cleora Hooker. He is survived by his daughters, Kaye Johnson of Hampton, Connecticut and Bethanie Hooker of Amherst, Massachusetts, and by his sons Scott Hooker of Colchester, Connecticut, Dana Hooker of North Attleboro, Massachusetts, and Gregory Hooker of Columbia, Tennessee. Dan is also survived by ten grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.

Dan graduated from Spaulding High School in Barre in 1954. Four years later, he received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont. Dan served in the U.S. Army as a Reserve Commissioned Officer (Captain) in the Signal Corps until his honorable discharge in 1969.

Much of Dan’s professional career involved the electric power distribution industry. For many years, Dan was an electrical engineer for the General Electric Corporation, which provided him with opportunities in Schenectady, New York; Boston and Pittsfield, Massachusetts; Hickory, North Carolina; Bridgeport, Connecticut; and Philadelphia. Dan and Betty Ann embraced the possibilities for adventure and renewal in moving their family of five children to different states and communities. Later in his career, Dan served as president of Tidewater Supply in Huntington, West Virginia, and as a consultant and bike shop owner in Barrington, Rhode Island. In retirement, Dan and Betty Ann lived Granby, Massachusetts and DeLand, Florida. After Betty Ann’s passing in 2014, Dan returned to southern New England and hosted family gatherings at his home in Windham Center, Connecticut.

Dan and Betty Ann were a quintessential team as life partners, and their love and mutual support was clear to everyone their lives touched. In his free time, Dan was very handy with carpentry, electricity, and all forms of home improvement. He took joy and satisfaction from assisting family members and friends with the planning and execution of their projects. Dan’s love for his family was expressed in these wholesome activities and the memories they created throughout his remarkable life journey.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, June 15th at 2 p.m. at Hedding United Methodist Church in Barre, Vermont.  Burial will follow in Elmwood Cemetery.  There are no calling hours.  In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in memory of Dan to Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeastern Connecticut, 32 South Main Street, Putnam, Connecticut 06260 or via Daykimball.org.