On Wednesday, June 22, 2016, Donna Margaret Hooper, aged 52 years, passed away with peace and grace with her family at her side. Donna will be lovingly remembered by her husband, Robert Dodds of 21 years and their dear children, Peter and Emily; her mother, Margaret (Pat) Hooper; her sister, Susan; and her brother, Glenn (Rachel) Hooper. Donna will also be forever remembered by her nieces, nephews and extended family and dear friends.
Donna was born in Calgary, Alberta on January 30th, 1964 and was educated at Queen Elizabeth Elementary, Junior and Senior Schools from 1970-1982 where she was the Valedictorian. She graduated from the Foothills Hospital Nursing School in June 1986 and later received her Bachelor’s in Science in Nursing from the University of Alberta. Having spent some time traveling around northern Alberta, Donna felt the urge for more and joined the Canadian Forces in 1987 as a Nursing Officer. Her postings included Gagetown, New Brunswick and Edmonton Alberta. The highlight of her military career was her deployment to Saudi Arabia in 1991 as part of the Canadian Field Hospital during the Persian Gulf War.
Prior to her illness, Donna was employed as a Team Leader/Case Manager for the Canadian Forces Health Service Centre (Pacific) in Victoria, British Columbia where she was instrumental in easing the transition of many service members releasing from the military.
Donna was a big fan of Facebook which allowed her the opportunity to stay connected with family and friends across Canada. She was always up for a good chat and ready to lend a hand when needed, a good friend and mother who will be deeply missed.
Thank you to Doctors Braithwaite, Belgaumkar and Saiger for their compassionate care as well as the amazing nurses at the Victoria Hospice. Also, thanks to the great caregivers of the Sidney Seniors Care.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, July 17 at 1:00 p.m., at the Naden Wardroom, CFB Esquimalt, Victoria, BC.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial tribute in memory of Donna may be made directly to the Victoria Hospice, Canadian Red Cross or the Canadian Mesothelioma Foundation.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall’s Funeral Home
www.mccallbros.com
30 Responses
I unfortunately only knew Donna a short while. She was my case manager. I was about four months pregnant when we first met. My release item was uncertain, whether medical or another item. I went into her office not knowing what to expect and scared for my future baby. From the moment I met her she was so supportive and compassionate. She told me with tears in her eyes she believed everything would work out for me and I would be ok. She found details in my medical file which eventually lead to a full medical release which was favoured in my case. She helped me, which by helped, I mean went through my medical file line by line which lead to 2 veterans affairs claims which I never knew I could do. Without this woman’s support and assistance, I would not be in a good place. For many weeks after I found out I got a medical release I would check in at her work. No one would tell me what was going on and where she was and I finally found out what happened. My heart sank. I wanted to share my good news with her but I couldn’t. In the short time I knew this women she made a huge life changing impact in my life. she was a one in a million, ten million. My condolences to her family. Thank u Donna. Thank u for your kind words and hey, u were right. Everything turned out ok. I have a healthy baby boy and am beyond happy. xo
I knew Donna through her work at Veterans Affairs Canada and CFB Esquimalt. She was committed to providing the best care and support to her clients. My thoughts are with Rob, Peter, and Emily who she cherished.
I offer my condolences to Rob and her children. I wish I could have gotten to know my sister better. What I do know is that she loved her family, friends and was loved back by the same.
We were sisters yet were strangers to each other, yet also had similarities. Our initials being the most prominent. I will miss the friendship we were forming.
Dear Rob and Family.
It was with great sadness to hear of Donna’s passing. Donna was a very passionate and committed person to her friends, family colleagues and clients. She will be dearly missed by many.
Our sincere condolences to you all.
Dearest Rob, Peter and Emily,
My deepest heartfelt condolences to all of you on your loss.
To Rob, Peter and Emily, I would like to express my deepest sympathy to you all at the loss of Donna your loving wife and mother. She was an exceptional woman and I will always remember her strength, commitment and intelligence. Sincerely, Janet James
My deepest condolences to your family. The news of Donna’s passing saddened me greatly. She was the kindest, most compassionate and generous person I knew. I had the distinct pleasure to work with her for several years and am the better for it. She will be greatly missed and fondly remembered.
Our deepest condolences are sent to the Dodd and Hooper families. We may not have known Donna personally yet, through Susan and her mother, Pat, we know of her indomitable spirit. She will be deeply missed by all who loved her. May fond memories of Donna bring comfort to you during this difficult time of sorrow.
Rob:
David and I extend our sincerest condolences to you, your two children and your extended family. I cannot begin to express how helpless I feel at trying to understand how and why Donna passed away. She was a stalwart advocate for others and colleague to me, a loyal friend and one of the loveliest human beings I had the privilege of knowing. Please know that you and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.
Dear Rob, Peter and Emily:
It was with immense sorrow that we learned of Donna’s passing. We remember Donna for her compassion that she displayed when helping Seona with her recent chemotherapy journey. Seona is forever grateful for Donna’s offer to help by administering her injections, the first of which Donna performed only two weeks prior to her diagnosis. As neighbours, should you need any assistance or support, please don’t hesitate to call us. We hold each of you in our prayers and may you find strength in the memories of everlasting love.
John and Seona Stephen.