Don Hook, photographer, family man, and friend, left us on Monday, November 2, 2015 just 9 days after the celebration of his 90th birthday. Don was born in 1925 in Oakland , California to Ray and Pansy Hook and left home at the age of 16 to join the Air Force. He served briefly as a pilot, but for medical reasons turned his attention to photography and served in that field for the remainder of his career, including several years at Lookout Mountain AFB, on a team that filmed and photographed atom bomb testing in the desert and over the Pacific Ocean.
While stationed at Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo, TX, Don met Ann West and they married when he was just 17 and Ann 18 years old. They remained happily married until Ann’s death in 2011 – nearly 70 years.
After 20 years’ service, Don retired from the Air Force at the age of 36 and began a career that took him to Aerojet, GAF, Sears, and several other companies as photographer, film processor and sales rep, finally retiring for the third time at 83 years old as CFO at Alliance Payment Technologies.
Don’s ashes were co-mingled with Ann’s and they were interred together at Riverside Memorial Cemetery in Riverside, California after Don’s honors service and memorial.
Don is survived by his children, Shirley Hook, Donne McCormick, and Paul Hook, as well as nine grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.
R.I.P. Don