John Logue Hooper – Obituary

23 Dec 1931 – 19 Feb 2013

 

John Logue Hooper, 81, of Palm Desert, died peacefully in his sleep on February 19, 2013. He was born on December 23 in Houston, TX. He was raised in Houston and New Orleans and graduated high school from New Mexico Military Institute with honors. He then attended Rice University, and graduated from Tulane University with a degree in Chemical Engineering. 

He joined the U.S. Marine Corps where he was stationed at Marine Barracks, Washington D.C., as part of Eisenhower’s Honor Guard. He attended Officer’s Candidate School and was a member of the National Rifle team, where he distinguished himself winning many medals.

After moving to Santa Barbara, he and his father formed Santa Barbara Yachts where John designed and built custom yachts, which can still be recognized up and down the coasts. John was a president of the Twenty-Thirty Club and a very active member of the Santa Barbara Yacht Club where he was fond of sailing. He made several long-distance races to Mexico and Hawaii. 

In 1979 he married Deborah Wallace Haley. He then formed John Hooper & Associates, a yacht brokerage firm in Santa Barbara. Wanting to design and manufacture safety equipment for boat engines, he purchased a small manufacturing company in Chula Vista, Calif., Aqualarm. He and Deborah at that time moved to Coronado.

The couple lived in Coronado for 24 years where they were active in the Coronado Yacht Club and Crown Club. He held a private pilot’s license, and was also an excellent bridge player, and especially enjoyed playing poker with his friends.

Upon retirement, he and Deborah moved to Palm Desert, Calif., where he was a member of the Crocodile Club and Ironwood Country Club.

John leaves his wife Deborah of 34 years, and three adored children by his first wife, Paige, Allison and Ashley. A daughter, Pamela, preceded him in death. In addition, he leaves a sister, Connie Phillips, and two stepchildren whom he loved as his own, Kelsey and Kevin Haley. He also leaves four grandchildren: Wesley, Seandon, Allison, and Jacob.

There are many others to whom he was a father and grandfather figure to. John was a strong, intelligent and loving man who was gracious and warm to everyone he came in contact with.