John Tanner Hooker

J. TANNER HOOKER, age 83 of Waco died Friday June 29, 2001, in a local hospital. Memorial services will be at 11:00 AM Monday, July 2, 2001 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, The Rev. Ken Kesselus officiating. Private burial will be at Oakwood Cemetery. Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home, 6101 Bosque Blvd, is in charge of arrangements. Mr. Hooker was born November 5, 1917 in Gonzales. He was the son of Southern Paul and Aura Tanner Hooker. Tanner attended Waco schools, graduating with honors from Waco High in 1935. He attended Baylor University and the University of Texas at Austin graduating from UT in 1941 with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. On December 7, 1941, he was called by the U. S. Navy and served as the Assistant Executive Officer of the Naval Construction Training Center SEABEES in Davisville, RI. He served in Hawaii and Okinawa, building hospitals to care for wounded US soldiers in the event the US invaded Japan. While serving in the Navy, Tanner met and married Mary Wadsworth Tremaine of Kingston, R.I. In February of this year, they celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary. Mr. Hooker was discharged from the Navy as a Lt. Commander and returned to Texas in 1946. He worked for Austin Bridge Co. in Dallas and soon returned to Waco, where he owned and operated Hooker Construction Co. until his retirement in 1985. As a general contractor, Tanner built many schools, churches and commercial buildings in central Texas. In Waco, Mr. Hooker built Texas National Bank, Tennyson Jr. High, and numerous facilities at the Methodist Home and MCC. He also built several buildings at Baylor University including Marrs McLean Science Building, Russell Hall and the Poage Library. After retirement, Tanner enjoyed boating and fishing with family and friends in Rockport. Mr. Hooker was a member of the Association of General Contractors, the Texas Society of Professional Engineers, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church where he served on the vestry. Survivors include his wife Mary T. Hooker of Waco; two daughters: Margaret Aura Collis and her husband Donald D. of Austin and Mary Lynn Hooker of Pottsboro; two grandsons: David Tanner Collis and Christopher Leighton Collis of Austin; nieces: Pamela Hooker Arthur of Austin and Sandra Lee Snouffer of Dallas and great nephews: Tanner and Gardner Harris of Austin and Tommy Tullous of Dallas. Honorary pallbearers will be Carl Barrett, Henry Dietz, Charles Gervig, Walter D. Hunter, Edgar Jablonowski, James H. Miller, Paul Murphy, R. D. Pattillo, William Russell, James Scruggs, Peter Simmon and Henry Stone. Memorials may be made to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Hillcrest Community Hospice or a favorite charity. WILKIRSON-HATCH-BAILEY