John Wesley Hoover Jr.

John Wesley Hoover, Jr., b. October 19, 1929, in McGehee, Arkansas, d. October 24, 2025, in Knoxville, Tennessee. John moved with his parents and siblings to Wynne, Arkansas, where he lived as a young boy until his mother died of cancer when John was 14 years old. John's father had been commuting to work by train and long-distance bus services from Wynne to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for several years, where he worked primarily as a carpenter at Y-12 in Oak Ridge, called at the time, the Secret City. After the death of his mother, John's father took his two older sons, John and Edward, to Oak Ridge with him, while finding suitable accommodations for his two daughters in Wynne. He sent his youngest son, Marcus to live with an aunt in Mississippi for a short time.
John grieved the loss of his mother for the rest of his life but was pleased to be with his father and brothers in Oak Ridge. He attended high school in Clinton, Tennessee, for a short time until his father found accommodations in or near Oak Ridge so that John and Ed could attend Oak Ridge High School. Immediately after his graduation from Oak Ridge High School, John joined the U.S. Navy as a seaman recruit, where he rose through the ranks and then was selected to attend Officer Candidate School and graduated from OCS. Among normal sea and shore duty assignments he also served with NATO and in Vietnam. All told, John served 27 years in the U.S. Navy.
John was predeceased by his father, John Wesley Hoover, Sr.; his mother, Alyne Irwin (Houser) Hoover; and his spouse of 67 years, Lois Andree (Brewer) Hoover; as well as his siblings, Mallie Ruth Hunter (Roy); Louise Irwin Huffman (William); James Edward (Margaret); Marcus Gray (Alice).
He was survived by daughter Lois Alyne Rule (Brad); son, John Michael Hoover (Lynn); grandson John Wesley Rule (Lauren); granddaughter Christina Leann Hoover; and four great-grandchildren.
John was a great storyteller and loved telling tales of his years of service in the Navy, where he quite literally saw the world. He had a wonderful sense of humor, and could keep an audience of friends, family members, and visitors hanging on every word he said.
In 1974, he and his wife retired to Satellite Beach, Florida. While there, they both became involved with the Space Coast PC Users Group. They were editors of the SCPCUG Newsletter for several years and won awards for this work. While in Florida, John and his wife began taking courses at the University of Central Florida: she, pursuing her fine arts degree, and he, taking classes in a variety of subjects that interested him, from computer science to creative writing.
After they left Florida, the couple moved to Knoxville in 1993 to be closer to their children and grandchildren.
A special thank you to U.T. Medical Hospice Services. They provided great support during his care.
Thank you to Kathy B., who worked physical therapy with Dad. And later helped to record his memoirs.
John will be laid to rest at East Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery during a private Graveside Service.
Arrangements by Bridges Funeral Home, 5430 Rutledge Pike, Knoxville, TN 37924. www.bridgesfuneralhome.com