Bobbie L. Hooker

Bobbie Hooker was born Bobbie Lorraine O’Neal on Armistice (later Veteran’s) Day, November 11, 1929 in New Gulf, Texas, part of the verdant Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. The eldest of four children (three born before her mother was 20), Bobbie was the little mama of her family who, like many, struggled to survive during the Depression. She learned how to be thrifty, self-sufficient and to never, ever throw out anything which might possibly be useful later. No doubt many of her contemporaries (and their children) can relate. Bobbie’s “baby” sister Rae Scroggs still lives in Corpus Christi.

Bobbie was the first in her family to attend college, going to Texas Agricultural and Industrial College to get her degree in home economics education. She met husband Charles while working as a cook in a boarding house. He really liked her cooking! They were married in June 1950 and lived in various locations around Texas while Charles completed his master’s degree as a high school guidance counselor.

Daughter Charlene was born September 1957 and son Herb in March 1959. In 1963, the family moved out West to San Angelo, Texas where Charles was a high school guidance counselor. Bobbie had planned to be a stay-home mom for the young family, but when school officials heard that she had a teaching certificate, they asked (begged, really) her to work to fill a shortage of elementary school teachers. She eventually got her master’s degree in elementary education and taught 4th through 6th grades for the next 25 years.

Bobbie was very active in the Texas State Teachers Association and the National Educators’ Association, serving on textbook committees and as a delegate to state and national conventions. She was selected as San Angelo school district Teacher of the Year in 1975/76. Bobbie and Charles were lifelong, passionate readers. Every room in their home had bookshelves filled with fiction, mysteries, history, science and at least half a dozen magazines. Bobbie tried her hand at several hobbies: rug hooking, ceramics, needlepoint, quilting. She sewed most of her and Charlene’s clothes and later taught sewing to her grandchildren. The family were also active members of Immanuel Baptist Church in San Angelo.

After Charles passed from cancer in 2000, Bobbie sold the family home and moved to Fort Collins to be closer to Charlene and the three grandchildren, Linden, Stone and Ivy, who were all young at the time. Bobbie joined Bethel Baptist church, delighted to find an independent Baptist church near her home. She also joined the Senior Center where she enjoyed water aerobics three times a week for many years.

One of the joys of Bobbie’s life, in addition to seeing the grandkids as often as possible, was going on a mission trip to China when she was 76 years old. She corresponded for many years with several Chinese friends she made on that trip, where she was honored and celebrated for being an “elder.”

Bobbie faced a few physical challenges in her 80s. She broke a leg which healed badly and had to have both knees replaced, had open heart surgery at 85, and broke both arms in November 2016. While her daily joy in living never ceased, she lost much of her short-term memory and ability to handle daily affairs. Bobbie moved to assisted living in Denver in October 2017 to be closer to Charlene. While she missed her Bridge family and friends in Fort Collins, she loved seeing Charlene nearly every day, and especially going to her house on the weekend to binge-watch murder mysteries!

Bobbie and Charles always held the view that it is the quality of life, not the length of it, that matters, and they shared that view with their children from an early age. When Bobbie stated to Charlene, after yet another hospital visit, that she was ready to go home to Jesus at any time, it became their agreement to allow that to happen should another health crisis occur. So when she fell, hit her head and developed a subdural hematoma, the family knew that she was finding a way to answer the call to go Home. Charlene and Herb were able to be with her at Rosemark assisted living under hospice care every moment until she passed quietly and comfortably on March 29, 2018 moments after Herb kissed her good-night.

Bobbie’s family is deeply grateful to friends who have expressed their love and care for Bobbie, and the prayers and blessings that have surrounded us in this time of passing. We were able to surround Bobbie with a family gathering the Saturday before she passed with singing and story-telling to celebrate the life of this loving, generous and Christ-led Mother, Wife, Teacher, Sister and Friend. We send her home to Jesus knowing that she has always been, and always will be, a Divine Light.