Obituary: Betty G. Hooley, 89

Betty G. Hooley, a former resident of Rockville Centre, died in her sleep on Dec. 30, 2014. She was 89.

She was predeceased by her husband of 60 years, Dr. John S. Hooley. She was the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Martin G. Grunwald.

Hooley, who trained as a nurse during World War II, grew up in Brooklyn. She began college at New Jersey College for Women in New Brunswick and later transferred to Adelphi College for her B.S. in nursing. She began her career at Meadowbrook Hospital where she met her husband, a young surgeon, whom she married in 1949.

When her husband began his practice at 209 Hempstead Avenue, Hooley was his office nurse. Building a family and practicing medicine took the couple from Long Island to Iowa in 1957 and then to Florida in 1964. In Iowa, Hooley served as a county public health nurse. In Florida, she worked as a nurse in an alcohol treatment facility.

Hooley and her husband lived on Merritt Island, Fla. for 44 years. In Rockville Centre, just as everywhere she lived, her vitality and zest for life attracted a wide network of friends. She had a good heart, a ready laugh and tremendous energy.

Hooley raised a houseful of children, helped and advised her husband, moved eight times and designed and supervised the building of three houses. Her first major project was in 1956 when she remodeled a house at 50 Broadway in Rockville Centre. She had great flair as a decorator, was an excellent cook and loved to entertain. Her houses were homes and her parties were fun.

A skilled and devoted bridge player, Hooley enjoyed playing duplicate bridge and contract bridge with her husband as her partner. She continued playing until the last week of her life, most recently at a bridge party organized by longtime friends. She and her husband also traveled the world together, visiting the celebrated sights and cities of Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and more. They traveled to Japan, Hong Kong, China, Nepal, Kashmir, Lebanon, Turkey, Australia and New Zealand. India, which they visited twice, was one of her favorite places.