Mary Hooper

A graveside service for Mary Hooper, 90, of Nacogdoches will be held at 1:00pm on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at Shady Grove Cemetery in Nacogdoches officiated by Bro. David Woodard.   A visitation will be held prior to the service from 10:00 to 11:00am on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at Laird Funeral Home.

Mary was born in the sparsely populated Fisher County. Raised in Roby surrounded by cotton fields and a large family. Three older brothers, one dying at birth, three older sisters, one dying at age 2 and one younger sister dying at age 4. She attended Roby schools where she honed her drawing skills illustrating her high school’s annuals. She met and married her lifetime mate, William (Bill) Hooper while he was on a construction job in Roby. Together they made their home in Nacogdoches, where Bill was from. They had 2 children, Loyde and Nancy. Together they built their dream home from an old church they moved to their property. They worked on their home while he worked at Nibco and she worked at Mize’s sewing factory and she still managed to find time to draw, paint, sculpt, restore furniture, design and sew clothes, and creating the most amazing works of art. The home they built together took a lifetime. Even after Bill retired, he, with her, built a large addition to their home for an art studio. Mary worked and taught art classes in her new studio as a well-known watercolorist in the East Texas area. She also owned and operated an art gallery in downtown Nacogdoches. Their life together was filled with creativity. If she imagined it, he could build it. They together did all this while raising their children, helping with 3 grandchildren. When Bill fell ill in 2002, she cared for him until his death in 2009. She still managed to work part-time sewing at Greers and babysitting her great grandchildren. She had a full life filled with family, work, travel, and creativity.

Mary leaves behind her children, Milton Loyde Hooper of Amarillo and Nancy C. Maness and husband, Ted of Nacogdoches; grandchildren, Canessa Maness, Ted Maness, Jr., Jacob Maness and wife, Rekay all of Nacogdoches; great grandchildren, Brooke Engbrecht, Rebecca Sands and husband, Bailey, Ruby Maness, Mika Maness, Richard Maness, Jericho Maness, Danniel Maness, and Madeline Maness; great-great grandchildren, Lillian Maness, Alexandria Sands, and Victoria Sands; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her husband, William (Bill) Hooper; siblings, Orville Hollabaugh, Jr., Flossie Lou Hollabaugh, Valero Hollabaugh, Charles Hollabaugh, Stephen Hollabaugh, Willow Jo Kelley, and Aza Lee Baxter.

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