Dorothy June Hooper

On a Wednesday, March 19, 1947, a baby girl was born in Chattanooga, TN to June Snide Hooper and Harry Ralston Hooper. Harry had a degree in Industrial Technology, a craft he practiced and actually taught for a couple years (1949-1951) at Southern Missionary College, Collegedale, TN. June was also a teacher and taught education at Southern much later after raising her family. The family felt the calling to spread the love of God and embarked on a mission service to India. They spent much of Dorothy’s childhood in Mussoorie, India.

This legacy of education was deeply ingrained in Dorothy for she pursued an education herself before becoming an educator. She received her secondary school education at Vincent Hill School, Mussoorie, India which is where she graduated from high school. She then went on to college at Southern Missionary College, Collegedale, TN, where she studied nursing. A college roommate describes Dorothy as being an extremely bright student. Because of her extraordinary intelligence and quick mind, she never had to break a sweat to consistently place in the top of her class. She was a kind, affectionate, soft-spoken scholar, who exuded love and grace to all. She never attracted attention to herself, avoided crowds, choosing rather to sweetly interact one-on-one or in small groups being helpful and loving. Dorothy graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Southern Missionary College (Now Southern Adventist University) in 1968. Her graduating class had 12 nurses who left college as a tight knit group of colleagues who kept in touch with each other, communicating frequently through the years, and enjoying special reunions up to the present. Her passing is a deep sorrow to this group.

Dorothy then went on to get her master’s degree in nursing education at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, CA. She then went on to work as a nurse at Glendale Adventist Hospital for about 7 years.

She was then hired in 1975 to teach her skills and the art of nursing to students at Southern Missionary College, her alma mater. For almost 20 years she influenced hundreds of up-and-coming nurses with her gentleness and kindness in skillfully ministering to the sick. In 1991, she returned to full time nursing, caring for infants in the intensive care unit of East Ridge Hospital (now called Park Ridge East). She worked in that Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) until her retirement in 2009. One can only imagine the stress of working with critically ill babies, many who don’t stand a chance of living because of disease or developmental problems. Dorothy put all her energy and skill into helping every young life thrive, celebrating the victories and mourning the losses. It is a tough place to work but she did it skillfully and lovingly for many years

Dorothy’s kind and loving heart is exhibited best by the fact that, though remaining single throughout her life, she adopted two babies, one, a baby girl, at birth in Orlando, FL that she named Karin Elizabeth and later, seeking to adopt another girl, she contacted a Chattanooga adoption agency. They told her that they had a boy that she just had to come and see and she did. Her heart melted and she adopted a three-month-old boy named Andrew John in 1983. She raised and educated these two children, pouring all her love and kindness into them to become well balanced, productive members of society.

Dorothy was predeceased by her parents Harry and June Hooper.

She is survived by her daughter, Karin “Kari” Elizabeth Bray of Irvine, CA; Kari’s three children, Alexander, Alijah, and Zoe; her son, Andrew John Hooper of Ringgold GA; brother, Charles Hooper of Collegedale, TN and her sister, Valerie Bohner of Lake Elsinore, CA.

A memorial service will be held via Zoom at 1 PM EST on Sunday, January 9, 2022.

There will be no visitation at the funeral home.

Please visit www.chattanoogavalleyviewchapel.com to share your memories and words of encouragement to Dorothy’s family.

Arrangements are by the Valley View Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home Crematory and Florist, 7414 Old Lee Highway, Chattanooga, TN 37421.