Lillian "Lynne" K. Hooker

Lillian “Lynne” Elvira Kenney Hooker

July 14, 1937 – October 20, 2026

Lillian “Lynne” Elvira Kenney Hooker, born July 14, 1937, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully surrounded by family. She was the beloved daughter of Thomas and Aurora (Andreozzi) Kenney.

Lynne grew up in West Philadelphia and graduated from West Philadelphia Catholic Girls High School in 1954. Following her calling to nursing, she earned her cap at Fitzgerald Mercy Hospital in 1956 and subsequently joined the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. Driving her new Corvette to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, for basic training, she went on to serve in the burn unit before being stationed at Fort Lawton in Seattle, Washington.

In 1959, Lynne married Dr. Joel Hooker, a veterinarian also serving in the Army. Their first child, Thomas, was born at the Army hospital at Fort Lawton. After completing their military service, Lynne and Joel moved first to Nebraska and then to Vermont, where their daughter Amy was born. They eventually settled in the Midwest, making their home in the farming community of Maitland, Missouri, where they welcomed two more daughters, Robin and Cindy.

Once her youngest child entered school, Lynne returned to nursing as an emergency room and floor nurse in Maryville, Missouri. She later embarked on a fulfilling career in academia, helping to develop and teach the nursing curriculum at Northwest Missouri State University, where she educated future nurses for nearly 20 years. During her tenure, she furthered her own education, earning two master’s degrees, one in Psychology and another in Nursing.

Following her father’s passing in 1987, Lynne returned to Philadelphia to care for her mother while continuing to teach nursing in the Greater Philadelphia area. In 1997, she retired to Lewes, Delaware, where she met Gene Braverman, with whom she shared many wonderful years until his passing in 2024. In 2019, she moved back to Pennsylvania to be nearer to her family.

Lynne possessed a lifelong passion for travel, camping, trains, and reading. She explored the United States and much of the world, visiting her children across their various homes and military duty stations - from California, Washington, Tennessee, Virginia, and Hawaii to Spain and Italy. She also traveled throughout Western and Eastern Europe with family and friends. Her fondness for trains began in childhood and grew into a passion; at one point, she devoted an entire double garage to her extensive model train collection. An avid and voracious reader, she was rarely seen without a book. For her 85th birthday, her four children honored her adventurous spirit by taking her on a memorable 10-day Alaskan train journey, a trip deeply cherished by all.

Lynne’s life was defined by compassion, intellectual curiosity, and an unwavering devotion to her family, students, and friends. Her legacy lives on through the countless lives she touched, taught, and inspired throughout her remarkable life.

She was preceded in death by her brother, Richard Lanzalotti (Anne Horcher), and her sisters, Geraldine “Geri” Lanzalotti (Donald Breth), Dorothy Kenney SSJ, Elvira Kenney (Charles Hurst), and Aurora Kenney (Jacalone).

Lynne is survived by her son, Thomas Hooker, and granddaughter, Gabriella Hooker; her daughter Amy Hooker and husband Matthew Barulich of Kansas City, Missouri; her daughter Robin James and partner Milton Hazell of Clearwater British Columbia Canada and Los Barriles BCS Mexico, and grandsons Alex James and partner Choumika Simonis of New York and Matthew James and partner Kala’iku Kaneshiro of Hawaii; and her daughter Cindy Manning and husband Timothy Schell, and grandson Carter Manning, all of Fleetwood, Pennsylvania; along with many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Relatives and friends are invited to her Viewing Saturday morning, October 31, 2026, at Burns Funeral Home, 9708 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19114.  The viewing will run from 9:00-10:15 A.M., followed by a Catholic service at 10:30 A.M.  Interment will be at St. Dominic's Cemetery.