John Hooton obituary 1945-2023 (Bozeman, MT)

 

April 19, 2023

John Holland Hooton passed away on Thursday, March 30th at age 77 from complications due to Alzheimer’s. Those who knew him will always remember his kind, playful, and loving spirit.

John was born in Pensacola, Florida on June 28th, 1945 to Richard J. Hooton Sr. and Ada Hooton. He graduated from Pensacola High School in 1963, earned his BA at the University of Florida and a Master of Fine Arts at Arizona State University. He was an Associate Professor of Photography at Montana State University from 1975 to 2008.

John had 2 daughters, Reagan and Alicia Hooton, with his first wife. He married his second wife, Dee Mast, in 1995.

John was an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Bozeman and the Montana Gathering of Friends. He also had a long history singing in the Bozeman Symphonic Choir, performing in operas, and blessing his friends and families with his beautiful baritone voice. John loved spending time at the Gulf of Mexico, hiking in the Montana Rockies, and riding his motorcycle. He was a devoted father and husband, and a lifelong photographer. John often saw the world through the lens of a camera from a perspective others may never have noticed, and he produced a diverse body of captivating images over the course of his lifetime.

John is preceded in death by his mother and father, Ada and Richard J. Hooton Sr., and by his brother Col. Richard J. Hooton Jr. He is survived by his wife Dee Mast, his daughters Reagan and Alicia, his stepchildren Dean and Greg Adams and Trish Lopez, and his 6 grandchildren Paige, Jake, Quinn, Bell, June, and Noah.

A memorial service will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Bozeman on Saturday, May 13th at 1pm.

Please hold Dee and her family in light, knowing that a major light of their lives is no longer with them.