Joseph D Hooker SR.

Joseph David Hooker, Sr Was born Thursday the 13th day of October in the year 1932 to Norman E Hooker and Sarah L (Williamson) Hooker in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended Brookville school in Brookville Ohio, which is on the state line with Sharon, Pa. While in high school his family moved to Warren, Ohio. In 1951 his father passed away and Joe had to work to support his mother. He worked the night shift for the Erie Lackawanna Railroad in the ticket booth and the mail department while attending high school throughout his senior year. After graduation in 1952, from Warren G Harding High School, he entered the United States Air Force on July 22, 1952. After his basic training at Lackland Air Force base in San Antonio, Texas he was transferred to Lockbourne Air Force Base in Columbus, Ohio. While at Lockbourne he was trained as an airplane technician, mainly to work on KC-97s, and was a member of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) during the Korean War. It was while he was stationed in Columbus that he met the love of his life Alice Jane Kandis. They were married on August 1, 1954. After serving his country for four years he was honorably discharged on July 22, 1956. It was in 1956 that he moved, with his beloved wife and first son Joe jr., back to Warren, Ohio. He went back to work for the Erie Lackawanna Railroad, in the communications department. While working full time at the railroad, and while raising a young family, he attended night school for electronics. He graduated with an associate degree in electronics. In 1965 he had the opportunity to use his degree and moved his family to Fort Wayne, Indiana to work for the General Telephone & Electronics Company. While working for GTE he had many opportunities and many promotions, from which he retired in 1988. On August 1, 2022 he with his beloved wife celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary. Throughout their 68 years of marriage, they had six children, Joseph D Hooker Jr, James N Hooker of Monroeville, In, Margy M Hooker of Fort Wayne, In, Robert C (Tamara) Hooker of Roanoke, In, Debra J (Thomas) Hall of Fort Wayne, In, and John R “Rick”(Karen) Hooker of Acworth, Ga. They have 10 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren, and 2 great great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by son Joseph D Hooker Jr, his father Norman Hooker, mother Sarah Hooker, sister Shirley Case, brother Charles Bennett, and brother Robert Hooker. He was a member of the Waynedale Baptist Church for many years. He was a beloved husband, father, grandpa, and great grandpa. Pop you will always be in our hearts.