Arnold Gray Hooper passed away on September 12, 2025. He was born in Castine, Maine on May 20, 1936 to Roy and Violet Hooper. He spent his youth in Brooksville except for a 7 month stay in Pasadena, California. After graduation from Brooksville High School, he joined the US Air Force, serving in California and Iceland. He served as a radar operator on RC-121 Constellations, flying patrol missions on the West Coast. His love of airplanes continued throughout his life, culminating at the Trenton Airport where his wife, Althea, treated him to a ride in a glider. After a roller coaster ride over Penobscot Bay, he declared that ride the most fun he had ever had in his life.
In 1958, he returned to Maine, where he married Althea Bridges of Penobscot. They enjoyed 67 years of love and companionship. They moved to Wiscasset while he worked as an apprentice machinist at Bath Iron Works. During that time he also took at-home courses in electronics In 1962, this extra training led to him being hired by IBM where he worked for 29 years as a Customer Engineer repairing business machines and computers through the state. After retirement, he and Althea returned to Penobscot where they renovated Althea’s family home.
Arnold was creative. He enjoyed woodworking and built much of the furniture at their home. He excelled at photography and had several photo-essays published in magazines such as Yankee, DownEast, and Audubon. He also carved birds and made toys for his grandchildren.
Arnold was predeceased by his beloved wife Althea, brother Alton, and daughter-in-law Rebecca Hooper. He is survived by his daughter Kathy (Thomas) Prince of Winchester, TN and son Stephen Hooper of Vienna, ME; grandchildren Traver (Katherine) Prince, Pelatiah (Emily) Prince, and Clarissa Hooper; and great-grandchildren Parker Thomas Prince and Claire Marie Prince.
