Donald R. Hooker II

Donald R. Hooker II Donald R. Hooker II, a longtime Bethel resident, passed away unexpectedly Saturday, January 24, 2009 at his home in Loudon, N.H. He had recently celebrated his 60th birthday. Known as "D.R.," Mr. Hooker lived on Chestnut Ridge Road in Bethel in the 1960s and 70s, and was best known locally as a singer and songwriter who performed with the D.R. Hooker Band. He recorded three independently released albums, beginning with "The Truth" in 1972. His subsequent collections were "Armageddon" and "Rain on the Moon." He also worked at the former Claire Lane Music in Bethel and at the Music Guild in Danbury. Mr. Hooker went on to pursue a career in information technology, living in Bridgeport, Naugatuck, Hawaii, Worthington, Ohio, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Spartanburg, S.C., and Deering, N.H., prior to settling in Loudon. Most recently, he spent eight years as an IBM systems programmer with Systems and Communications Inc., contracted to the state of New Hampshire. While never achieving widespread recognition for his artistic work in his lifetime, Mr. Hooker's music to this day is regarded as important in the view of internet-connected fans from around the world. One online reviewer called "The Truth" a work that was "perfectly perched between the psychedelic 60s and the singer-songwriter 70s." The main loves of Mr. Hooker's life were music, his family camp in Maine, and his wife, Anita Marie. In addition to Anita, he leaves three step-daugh-ters, Dawn Applebaum of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Sandra Young of West Palm Beach, and Michelle Harshbarger of Washington, Pa. He is also survived by his sister, Margaret Moser of Reston, Va., and two brothers, Creighton of Branford and Greg of Marshfield, Vt. A gathering of friends from the Danbury area to celebrate Mr. Hooker's life will be announced in the Spring. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the charity of your choice. The Bennett Funeral Home of Concord is in charge of the arrangements.