David Lynn Hooks, loving husband, father, son and brother, went home to be with Jesus on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019, at Saint Francis Medical Center.
He was born to Joe and Lois Curtis Hooks on April 8, 1952, in Sikeston, Missouri.
His grandma, "Mama Curtis," took care of him when his mother went back to teaching. He enjoyed telling stories of growing up with all his cousins and reconnected with them when he moved back to the area in 1998.
During high school, he was part of the Matthews, Missouri, boys basketball team that went to the state championship game in 1968. After graduating from high school in 1970, he attended Southeast Missouri State University for a couple of semesters, but decided school was "overrated" and forged out on his own.
This took him down to south Texas in 1974, where he lived until moving back to Southeast Missouri in 1998. While living in Texas, he met his wife, Priscilla, on his 37th birthday and won her over with his smooth-talking ways. They married March 10, 1990, at Baptist Temple in McAllen, Texas.
He was a salesman at the time for Arnold Refrigeration before forging out on his own yet again by starting his own refrigeration business, which he did until their move in June 1998.
On Jan. 25, 1991, their lives changed forever with the birth of their son, Daniel Curtis. He was and has always been their pride and joy. David will be missing his son's special wedding to Erica Haspel on April 6, which he was looking so forward to participating in. He was so happy Daniel and Erica found each other and are going to share their lives together.
David and Priscilla have been sales reps for Books Are Fun/Collective Goods for the past 15 years in the Southern Illinois and Southeast Missouri territory.
Two words people used to describe him were "kind" and "sweet."
David was diagnosed with stage-four throat/neck cancer in 2001. After surviving the treatments and all of their side effects, he was determined to work again. He continued to work after also being diagnosed and treated for lung cancer in October 2013. He always said, "God has blessed me," and remained positive about the future. He was a member of Connection Point Church.
He is survived by his wife, Priscilla Hooks of Jackson; son, Daniel Hooks (Erica Haspel) of Brooklyn, New York; father, Joe Hooks of Matthews; a brother, Steve (Aurora) Hooks of Harlingen, Texas; sisters-in-law, Patty Conklin of Cedar Hill, Missouri, and Janet Bentzinger of Vancleave, Mississippi; daughter, Robin Munoz of Texas; nieces, Bonnie (Brandon) Hernandez of San Antonio, Audrey (Sabino) Gonzalez of Clute, Texas, Deborah (Gary) Parnell of Anderson, Alabama, and Rebecca (David) Marante of Stuart, Florida; nephew, Matt (Audrey) Hooks of Harlingen; and five great-nieces and -nephews, as well as many aunts, uncles and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Lois Hooks.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.
A memorial service will be at 7 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home, with Pastor Chris Vaught officiating. As per his wishes, he will be cremated after the service. His ashes will be taken to Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park this summer.
Memorials may be made to Hope Lodge of St. Louis, which helped him with lodging during both cancer treatments.
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