Kathy Hooker

Kathy Hooker was a woman who enjoyed life to the fullest, and for all the right reasons. She did what she did, be it software programming, bird watching,or mushroom hunting, not for material gain or because others expected her to, but because she loved it. Private but warm-hearted, complex but straight-forward, Kathy was a skilled computer programmer, a faithful friend, and a loving wife, daughter and sister.

On March 25, 1951, John and Audrey (Stout) Hooker were delighted to welcome a new arrival to their family – a baby girl, whom they christened Kathryn. Kathy, as she soon came to be known, was destined to be the baby of the family, since her two brothers, John and William, were quite a bit older. The Hooker family lived on the North side of Grand Rapids, and Kathy grew up first on Hollywood NE and later Washtenaw NE. When the time came for Kathy to attend school, she was enrolled at Aberdeen Elementary. Like any kid, however, Kathy’s most memorable childhood experiences occurred outside the classroom, especially during summer vacation. The Hookers often spent their summers at the family cottage on Big Whitefish Lake. Kathy’s lifelong love of nature most likely dates from those lazy summer days spent on the lake, where she swam, water-skied, and scoured local marshes for frogs, turtles and other wildlife. Kathy was always a lady, however, and no matter how much time she spent exploring the marshes she always came out looking neat and clean!

The years went by, and soon Kathy graduated from Creston High School. At this time the computer industry was just getting started, and Kathy found a job working for a software development company. Since the field was so new there wasn’t much formal education available, and she had to learn on the job - most of her programming skills were self-taught. This wasn’t a problem for Kathy, however, who had both an aptitude for numbers and an independent, self-motivated nature. In addition to programming, she also was interested in business, and enrolled in some business and finance classes at Junior College and later graduated from Davenport University. It seemed like no matter what Kathy put her mind to, she did well – a confirmed perfectionist, Kathy maintained straight A’s throughout her entire scholastic career, with only a single exception (the exception was an A-). It was only a matter of time before Kathy began to rise in the workplace and she soon branched out, working on her own, building software solutions that integrated office work and accounting.

Sometimes, people as successful as Kathy become overly involved in their work and neglect other aspects of life. Kathy, however, had the good fortune to experience both material success as well as romantic love. One day while shopping at Meijer, Kathy unexpectedly ran into a high school classmate – Winston Prothro. They naturally struck up a conversation, and one thing led to another. Their friendship gradually deepened into love, and on August 21, 1985, the couple was married.

Winston and Kathy were living proof that opposites attract. Although they were very different in temperament and personality, they were always able to find a common ground. Their different qualities tended to complement each other, and they therefore worked very well together as a team.

Despite her deep interest in her work, Kathy found time for a myriad of hobbies and interests, often in conjunction with her husband. Many of theses activities stemmed from her love of nature. For example, Kathy loved going for nature walks – even a “short” walk could end up taking all day. As far as Kathy was concerned, a walk was measured not in terms of distance but in terms of quality and enjoyment. She always took her time, paying attention to detail and relishing opportunities to explore. Kathy also liked bird-watching and mushroom-hunting, and even helped found a local bonsai society. Another field of interest for Kathy was the Arts, an interest she shared with her husband. In fact, Kathy and Winston founded the Jollybrook Award, an art award given out at the Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts. Kathy especially enjoyed film (mostly independents and classics), and considered herself an amateur film watcher.

In the early nineties, Kathy and Winston moved to Comstock Park where they enjoyed living in a home surrounded by nature. They often traveled together, both within the States and internationally. Just last year the couple visited China, a place that Kathy researched extensively before the trip and became very knowledgable about. In fact she often helped the tour guide answer questions and explain things. While in China, they climbed the Great Wall and watched a performance of the Peking Opera. Kathy was always happy to come home after her travels, however, and particularly enjoyed holidays and family get-togethers. Her favorite holiday was Halloween, for which she spent weeks preparing.

Kathy Hooker was an intelligent, independent woman with high standards, a lively sense of humor and deep affection for her family and friends and pets. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by all those whose lives she touched.

She began to feel ill in the summer of 2008, and was diagnosed with cancer. Kathy spent her final year at home with her husband, family and friends, She died on August 25, 2009, at the age of fifty-eight with Winston at her side.

She was preceded in death by her father, John Hooker, and her brother, John Hooker Jr. Kathy is survived by her husband, Winston Prothro; her mother, Audrey “Ted” Hooker; her brother, William (Therese) Hooker; three special sisters-in-law, Marilyn Hooker, Nelda (Jack) Quigley, and Mary Prothro; her nieces and nephews, Faye (Russ) Graves, Robert (Lora) Hooker, Christopher (Barbara) Hooker, Matthew (Joey) Hooker, Elizabeth Hooker and Sarah Hooker; five great-nieces and nephews; and many close, longtime friends.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit with Kathy’s family at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home – Van Strien Creston Chapel, 1833 Plainfield NE on Saturday, August 29, from 1-2 p.m. A service to celebrate her life will begin at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Cancer Society, Hospice of Michigan, C-Snip, or Vicky’s Pet Connection. Please visit Kathy’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you may share a favorite memory or sign the online register.