Wayne Hooper passed away peacefully in Eureka on September 17, 2024. He was 92 years old.

While serving in the U.S. Air Force, Wayne married Shirley Hooper in Everett, Washington in 1955. They moved to Eureka in 1957 and raised seven children together.

A prominent figure in local trucking business circles, Wayne operated his Hooper Trucking business for more than 50 years before retiring in 2009. Through his business, Wayne touched many lives, from customers and business partners to the young men who worked for him as mechanics and drivers. Many of Wayne’s employees went on to start businesses of their own with his support and mentorship and frequently returned to his Myrtle Avenue truck yard, known simply as “the shop,” to keep Wayne apprised of their progress or ask for guidance.

Above all, Wayne was known for his honesty, even if it could be brutal. “If you were right, he would back you,” said one longtime friend. “If you were wrong, he would tell you to your face.”

Wayne was also known as a storyteller with a dry wit punctuated by his Southern accent. Known for his ability to “spin a yarn,” Wayne spent many hours swapping stories with friends, employees and business associates standing around the wood stove at “the shop.”

While Wayne was dedicated to his family and business, he also was active socially. He was a member of Masonic Lodge #79 in Eureka for more than 50 years. He served as Master of the Lodge in 1994 and in 2008 received the Hiram Award for outstanding achievement and commitment to the Lodge. Wayne was also a member of The Shrine and president of the mini-car club of the Shriners. Later in life, he also attended weekly breakfasts with a group known as the “Romeos,” for Retired Old Men Eating Out.

Wayne was born September 15, 1932, in Tuckasegee, North Carolina to Jesse Monroe Hooper and Florence Hooper.

He is survived his brother, Frank Hooper, of Tuckasegee, North Carolina; his sister-in-law Marjorie Willey of Snohomish, Washington; his seven children: Joyce Hooper of Prineville, Oregon, Robert Hooper of Eureka, Max and Sandy Hooper of Rancho Palos Verdes, California, Douglas and Barbara Hooper of Eureka, Larry Hooper and Kuldip Singh of Sonoma, California, Kenneth and Patti Hooper of Henderson, Texas, and Kurtis Hooper of Eureka; his 14 grandchildren: Robert Griffin, Christine Hooper Parsons, Bridget Montoya, Amy Dodge, Kendra Shepherd, and Kelly, Kyle, Clint, Logan, Amanda, Eric, Colin, Alyssa and Cassidy Hooper; his 28 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Shirley Ann Hooper, who passed away December 10, 2004; his mother and father; his brothers Harold, Jim, Robert, Raymond and George Hooper; his sister Dorothy Long, and his grandson Cory Monroe Hooper.

Services will be held at 12 p.m. Thursday, September 26, 2024, at Sanders Funeral Home, 1835 E Street in Eureka. Burial will be at Ocean View Cemetery, 3975 Broadway in Eureka followed by a reception in the Redwood Acres Home Economics Building, 3750 Harris Street in Eureka.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Shriners Children’s Hospitals.