August 3, 2022
Brenda Kay Smith Hooper, age 64, passed away surrounded by family in Nashville on August 2, 2022. Brenda was born on October 26, 1957, to the late Willie Doyle and Nina Melford Stone Smith of Smithville, Tennessee.
Brenda, a Smithville native, was a 1975 graduate of DeKalb County High School and a 1979 graduate of Tennessee Technological University. In July of 1979, she married her high school sweetheart Doug Hooper. They moved to Memphis where she began her career as a Certified Public Accountant, working for the Tennessee Department of Revenue. Upon Doug’s completion of medical school, they relocated to Huntsville, Alabama, where she worked for McGriff, Dowdy & Associates, P.A. Moving back to Smithville in 1986, she continued her career as a CPA for a short time before taking a break to raise her sons. She returned to her profession in 2005, working for Janney and Associates before retiring in 2017.
Brenda’s faith, family, and friends were of utmost importance to her. More than anything, Brenda loved spending quality time with her family, especially her four precious grandsons. Brenda loved the outdoors, gardening, reading, and baking, always having a delectable sweet to offer family or friends. A seasoned traveler, she and Doug, usually with friends or family in tow, were always on the go.
A member of First Baptist Church, Brenda was active in the Church Choir and Baby Boomers’ Sunday School class. She also served on the Justin Potter Library Board for 18 years and the Regional Library Board for 9 years as well as volunteered with Haven of Hope, Habitat for Humanity, the DeKalb County Election Commission, and the Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree. She was a devoted wife, mother, daughter, sister, grandmother, aunt and friend, who will be sorely missed by all who knew her.
Brenda is survived by her husband of 43 years, Dr. Doug G Hooper of Smithville; sons, Dr. Daniel Douglas Hooper (Bryant Ransom) and Dr. Justin Davis Hooper (Martha) of Smithville; 4 beloved grandchildren: Aiden Rhett, Emmett Turner, Owen Thomas and Landon Reed; sister, Barbara Wall (Jim) of Smithville, and brother, Al Smith (Toni) of Huntsville, Alabama; and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held on Friday, August 5, 2022 from 12nn to 8pm at Love-Cantrell Funeral Home and Saturday, August 6, 2022 from 12nn to 2pm at First Baptist Church. Brenda’s Celebration of Life Service will follow at 2pm with burial at DeKalb Memorial Gardens, immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Mrs. Brenda Hooper to Lighthouse Christian Camp, First Baptist Church Youth Fund, or the American Cancer Society.