Obituary of Mary R. Hooper

Mary R. Hooper, age 89, passed away July 21, 2025. Born on January 24,1936, in Marysville, Ohio, she was the only daughter of Wesley and Marjorie Rundell.  Mary was preceded in death by her parents and her older brother, Tom Rundell.

At a young age, Mary moved with her family to Terre Haute, Indiana where she spent her formative years and enjoyed participating in the Girl Scouts and embraced the social norms of the 1950’s like wearing poodle skirts and attending sock hops.   She graduated from Indiana State University as a member of the Delta Gamma Sorority and enjoyed those college friendships for many years after graduation. Mary devoted her career to elementary education, retiring from Wayne Township Public Schools after numerous years of teaching second grade. She was voted as Teacher of the Year and flirted with the idea of applying to be the first teacher in space in the 1980’s.  

Mary’s faith was the cornerstone of her life.  She was a very devoted and active member of Chapel Hill United Methodist Church, participating in church outings, programs and fellowship groups. Mary also had a love of reading, watching sports on TV and in her later years, loved Hallmark movies. Mary enjoyed hearing about her children and grandchildren’s  travels, always making sure she knew where those places were on the map and demanding pictures on her Grandpad so she could see what they were experiencing.  

Mary is survived by her three children Beth Nelson (Greg Lowery), Jo Kiel (Steve) and Bill Hooper (Becky). Additionally, she is survived by eight grandchildren and nine great grandchildren of whom she remained deeply proud.   

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