Mr. Victor B. Hooper

VICTOR BERNARD HOOPER The story of Victor Bernard Hooper begins when Henry William Hooper moved his entire family from Essex, England to India which was then under the British rule. The family settled in Southern India, in a city called Kolar Gold Fields (or KGF), where Henry worked as an officer in the gold mines. Henry�s son, Albert, met and married Agnes Hunter, daughter of Catherine and Dick Hunter who lived in Bangalore. They had 3 sons and Victor was the youngest. Victor was born on May 30, 1935 in Bangalore, India. After his father died, his mother remarried Henry Fernandez and had 2 daughters, Joyce and Rita. Unfortunately, the family suffered the loss of the sisters who succumbed to a deadly virus, both dying on the same day. His brother Hamish also died at the early age of 21 from medical negligence and his only surviving brother, Douglas, moved his family to London, England. The events of history were conspiring to bring more changes to Victor�s life. During World War II, Clarence and Merlyn Hendricks fled from Burma, hoping to avoid capture by the Japanese. Like the Hoopers before them, they too settled in Kolar Gold Fields. Although her home was in KGF, their young daughter, Barbara, spent much time visiting relatives in Bangalore. There she met Victor. They fell in love and were married at the early age of 20. They had 7 children but also �unofficially� adopted 2 nephews, Ian and Cecil. Victor and Barbara, with their large family, lived for many years in a house known as �46 Austin Town.� They opened their home to many people in need and taught their children the importance of sharing with everyone. Victor was the peacemaker in the town, often sought out by many for advice on various issues. Thus �46 Austin Town� became a refuge for anyone in trouble. Victor loved to play the guitar and on many occasions the entire family would gather with relatives, friends, and neighbors for a sing-along that would last well into the night. Some of Victor�s favorite songs were �I Left You a Kiss on Your Door,� �Love Letters in the Sand,� �Lipstick on Your Collar,� and �Your Cheating Heart.� His childhood friend, Oscar Williams, often brought his guitar along and joined in the fun. Victor also shared his talent in church and sang some of his favorites like �If That Isn�t Love,� �The Old Rugged Cross,� and �Across the Bridge.� Victor and Barbara had a life changing experience when they accepted the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior in 1974. Overnight they gave up their addictive habit of cigarette smoking. Remarkable, considering that he had worked for the India Tobacco Company for over 25 years!! After accepting the Lord Jesus, they opened the doors of 46 Austin Town to missionaries and soon their bedrooms and living room were filled with children and adults who came to participate in Bible Studies, Children�s Club and the Deaf Ministry, every Wednesday evening. Out of those activities was formed Olivet Baptist Church. The sign on the gate of 46 Austin Town read: �LOGOS, Gift from God�. In 1988 Victor immigrated to the USA. On the way, he planned to visit family in England including his only living brother, Douglas. Sadly, Douglas passed away just prior to Victor leaving India. The rest of the Hooper family gradually joined Victor in the US at various intervals and all his children now live in Maryland. Victor�s first job in the USA was with Bank of America from which he retired. He was not happy unless he was working. After retirement, he completed his GNA training and worked at Springbrook Adventist Nursing and Rehab. Afterwards, he moved on to a position as Bus Attendant, working with special needs children for Montgomery County Public Schools. Victor, as always, was a hard-working, loyal, and dedicated employee who was loved and appreciated by all of his co-workers. Victor dearly loved every one of his 13 grandchildren and his conviction in life was to do everything he could to make everyone happy. As an example, when one of them started kindergarten and wanted a �Black Sheep� after learning the nursing rhyme, Victor went out and bought him a Black Sheep for a pet. He loved martial arts and enjoyed taking his grandchildren to karate movies. His grandchildren could also look forward to special Saturday morning breakfasts or afternoons of bowling with their grandfather. He took great pride in the accomplishments of his children and grandchildren and seized every opportunity to celebrate them. The Lord enabled and provided for Victor and Barbara to fulfill many of their dreams. At various times, they visited many relatives and friends in Australia, England, France, and India. They enjoyed a visit with their missionary friend, Olive Brittain in Canada and also toured parts of the USA, their adopted home. A special highlight for Victor was visiting Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry including the museums of his favorite singers, Jim Reeves and Elvis Presley. Victor and Barbara also enjoyed a couple of Caribbean cruises with family. Through their years in America, Victor and Barbara lived in various apartments in the Maryland suburbs of DC and eventually bought a home in Silver Spring. In 2001, they moved in with family on Kilgore Rd for the remainder of Victor�s life. In the final 12 months, Victor�s health deteriorated to the extent that he was unable to enjoy the things he loved most: quality time with his family, his work, and travel. He shifted his focus to spending valuable time with his loved ones at home. He was able to spend quality time with each and every one of his children and grandchildren in spite of his struggle with illness. Till the end, predictably, he remained a fighter. Just as in his favorite sport, boxing, where he had won many titles, Victor, in life, took every punch with dignity and pride, walking out like a champion. Victor was adored not just by his family but by every person who had the privilege of meeting him. A gentleman to the end, Victor leaves behind a legacy of love, kindness, generosity, humility and unbreakable passion for life and family. He is survived by his beloved wife of 53 years, Barbara, who always remained his fortress; their dedicated and grateful children, Charmaine, Marion, Veronica, Theodora, Lloyd, Dudley, Beverley and their spouses; their precious grandchildren, Marcus, Clyde, Joelle, Jason, Kristina, Cassandra, Justin, Jonathan, Dillon, Nathaniel, David, Caitlyn, and Jordan; and extended family and circle of friends. To quote Victor, �my children are the jewels in my crown and my grandchildren are the gems.�