Edward C. Hooks

Edward C. Hooks, 72, passed away on Friday, February 11, 2022 due to complications of multiple sclerosis. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend, and is survived by Susan Hooks, his wife of 47 years; their children, Kathleen and Patrick (Catherine); grandchildren, Cal and Grady; mother, Vivian; and brother and sister, Hank and Bernadette.

Ed was born the son of Vivian and the late Gerald Hooks on May 8, 1949 in Little Falls, NY. He graduated from Norwich High School in 1967, a class that surrounded him with love and support throughout his entire life. Ed got his undergraduate degree from The College of The Holy Cross in 1971 before attending Syracuse University Law School where he earned his law degree in 1974.

Upon graduation, Ed served as a Captain in the United States Air Force where he worked as a Judge Advocate in Merced, California and Alamogordo, New Mexico before retiring as captain and moving to Rochester, New York to work as an attorney for Harris Beach. In 1982, Ed and Sue moved their young family to Ithaca, New York where he helped open a new office of Harris Beach and worked – somewhat obsessively – until his retirement in 2016.  During that time he was actively involved in many organizations in the community including the Special Children’s Center and Challenge Industries.  Ed was on the Board of Directors for the Tompkins Trust Company and Tompkins Financial and served as the attorney for the town of Newfield.

While he had tremendous passion for his work as an attorney and took great pride in serving the community, his family and love of running brought him his greatest joy.  He was, at times, an overly enthusiastic sports fan who supported (and often embarrassed) his children during their athletic endeavors. However, when cheering on his daughter during her (brief) XC and track career at Colgate, attending his son’s lacrosse games at Le Moyne, and – most recently – following and enjoying updates from his grandsons’ latest games on the field and on the ice, he was always unquestionably his family’s biggest fan.

Ed lived with Multiple Sclerosis for over 35 years and it became unignorably burdensome within the last decade. He endured the disease with a paradoxical combination of infuriating stubbornness, resilient optimism, and dogged resolve. Ed spent his final four years in assisted living at Bridges Cornell Heights where he received tremendous care and attention from a dedicated group of caregivers who he loved and appreciated dearly. No matter the circumstances, anyone visiting him at Bridges was always met with a smile, a great sense of humor and an eagerness to listen and engage. The compassion of his close friends and family and the dedication of the Bridges staff meant the world to him, and his family will always be grateful for the comfort they provided through his final days.

A memorial service celebrating his life will be held at St. Catherine’s of Siena church on April 18 at 12 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Ed Hooks Memorial Trust to help defray the cost of caregiving and resources associated with multiple sclerosis for the benefit of his daughter. Checks can be sent to Sue Hooks, Trustee, 317 Blackstone Ave., Ithaca, NY 14850.