Russell F. Hooper

Russell "Russ" F. Hooper, 89, of Iron River, passed away on December 16, 2018 at the Iron County Medical Care Facility. Born on September 13, 1929 in Iron River, the son of the late Fred and Valera (Nelson) Hooper, Russ graduated from Iron River High School with the class of 1948. He married the former Verna Tervo on February 6, 1954 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Stambaugh. They celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary in 2014. Verna preceded him in death in 2017. Russ worked for the West Iron County School District as a custodian and bus driver, retiring in 2000 after four decades of service. Over the years, he also drove charter buses for Shubat and James Transit. Earlier, he was an officer with the Iron River Police Department for ten years. He was a member of the First Lutheran Church of Iron River. A jack-of-all-trades, Russ always loved lending a helping hand wherever needed. And, when not driving a bus, you’d likely still find him behind the wheel, hitting the road with his family—making as many detours for ‘coffee and a pie piece’ as possible. Russ is survived by his daughter, Linda (Dave) McTaggart of Mead, WA; sons, David M. Hooper of Green Bay, WI, and Jerry Hooper of Savage, MN; grandchildren, Michael Rankinen, Phillip Hooper, Lisa and Jeffrey (Kayla) Hooper, James McTaggart, Ashlyn and Rhiannon Hooper; great-grandsons, Jordan and Dominick; and sister-in-law, Bertha (Jerry) Pangrazzi. He was also preceded in death by his children, Paul, Stan, and Sue; and his brother, Jerry. Interment will be in Resthaven Cemetery with a private graveside service held at a later date. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Russell F. Hooper, please visit our flower store.