J. Robert Hooper

[ Age 71 ] The Harford County businessman, elected three times to the state Senate, was `everybody's friend.'

Mr. Hooper, known to his legislative colleagues for his high-fives and good nature, had served in the Senate since 1999.

"He touched people everywhere regardless of their stature," said Mr. Glassman, who was sworn in to the Senate this month. "He would talk with you and listen to you whether you were a state senator or cleaning offices."

Harford County Council President Billy Boniface said that Mr. Hooper "was really matter-of-fact and no-nonsense, a quality that is refreshing for a politician. He was as much at home in the Senate as he was ringing a bell for the Salvation Army at Harford Mall."

Vi Ripken, mother of Hall of Fame baseball player Cal Ripken Jr., recalled how Mr. Hooper and her husband played fiercely competitive soccer and became friends.

Mr. Hooper married Mrs. Ripken's cousin, Shirley Cullum, on Christmas Eve in 1957. The couple threw a 50th-anniversary party last month. "It was a remarkably joyous party to celebrate his life and all that he has done for friends and family," Mrs. Ripken said. "He was always a caring, giving, loving and principled man."

Born in Baltimore, Mr. Hooper grew up in Pylesville. In his senior year at Bel Air High, he drove a school bus, delivering elementary students to class before arriving for his own courses. Soccer, a lifelong passion, was the game he played long into adulthood. He helped establish Harford County's first youth soccer league.

Mr. Hooper founded Harford Sanitation Services Inc. in 1954, and the company grew from two employees to 120 with a fleet of more than 50 trucks.

He was a lifelong member of Fawn Grove Church of the Nazarene.

"He never faltered when it came to his faith," Mr. McMahan said. "It was the mantle he wore in politics, business and everyday life."

Mr. Glassman last visited with his mentor on Sunday.

"I think he was at peace," Mr. Glassman said. "His strong faith had taken over, and he knew that he had done his work."

Funeral services will be at noon Tuesday at the Bel Air Church of the Nazarene, 2430 Conowingo Road.

In addition to his wife, survivors include two sons, Bobby Hooper of Street and Scott Hooper of Delta, Pa.; two daughters, Cindy Hushon of Delta and Terrie Fraer of Abingdon; six grandchildren; and six step-grandchildren.

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