Donald Leslie Hooper, 86, a long-time former resident of Pawling and more recently a resident of Laurel, DE, passed away Thursday, May 24, 2018 at Coastal Hospice at the Lake, Salisbury, MD.
Born in Worchester, MA on March 2, 1932, he was the son of the late Leslie James Hooper and Edith Carolyn Stockwell. He joined the US Army in 1952 and was discharged from the Army Reserve in 1961.
On June 15, 1957, he married Lucy Cutler Chapin in West Midway, MA. They then lived in North Salem until 1966 when they moved to Pawling. Lucy passed away on September 23, 1998.
Donald worked as a shipping clerk for the former Pawling Rubber Company. He loved vegetable gardening and had been doing it for 80 years, since he was 6 years old, and he helped out with many scout sleep-overs when his two sons were in the boy scouts.
He is survived by his two sons, Edward Hooper and wife, Nancy, of Patterson, NY and Walter Hooper of Dover Plains, NY; his brother, Neil Hooper, of Worchester, MA; four grandchildren, Lehanne Ottley and her husband Mike of Dover Plains, Deborah Tripp of Dover Plains, Clara Katherine Hooper of Carmel, and Samuel Hooper, also of Dover Plains; and four great-grandchildren, Gavin & Illyanna Ottley and Jasmine& Liam Tripp, all of Dover Plains.
In addition to his wife. Lucy, and his parents, he is predeceased by two brothers, Bill and Lee Hooper.
Family and friends may pay their respects at the Horn & Thomes, Inc. Funeral Home, 83 East Main Street, Pawling, NY Monday, May 28th 6-9 PM. A graveside service will be held on Tuesday at the family plot in Pawling Cemetery, Route 22, Pawling.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Donald may be made to The Salvation Army online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769).
The entire family would like to extend a very heartfelt “Thank you” to Fletcher Hanks for his care, compassion, and companionship for their dad during the last 8 years.
