In Memory of Robert Clark Hooper

      He was born in Annapolis Maryland on 14 September 1938 to Edwin B. Hooper and Elizabeth W. Patrick. Robert Hooper attended high school at Sidwell Friends and ran on the Track Team. In 1957, he won the Washington DC Private School Mile with a time of 4:50. He graduated from Sidwell Friends. He ran on the Cross Country Team at John Hopkins and could run a mile in 4:30. In 1959, he developed a severe and crippling form of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). In 1961, he graduated from John Hopkins University receiving a bachelors degree. He studied mathematics at University of Maryland and received a PhD in 1967.

      He taught math at the University of Nevada at Reno for 30 years (1968-1998). He was a co-founder of the Computer Science Department. He attended the St Stephens Episcopal Church and was served as a vestryman for many years. He established a ministry, which visited prisoners in Nevada's maximum security prison. Despite his AS which severely limited the movement of his back and leg joints, Robert started hiking on trails in the Reno area, hiking at least once a week and keeping computer files on the hiking trails. On a clear cool morning -- 8 February 1998, he started hiking up Peavine Mountain alone. After hiking three miles, he died suddenly from a heart attack. In the afternoon, a snow storm dumped over two feet of snow on Peavine. Despite a determined search, his body was not found and the search was canceled after a few days. On March 18th, the melting snow partially uncovered his body and a hiker found him.