Jerry L. Hoover of Paducah, Kentucky died Sunday September 29 at Superior Care Home. He was 76 years old.
Jerry was City Manager of Paducah from 1994 to 1998 and Executive Director the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce from 1978 to 1982. He also served in state government in Frankfort, KY as Executive Assistant to State Auditor and then Secretary of State Bob Babbage from 1988 to 1994.
From the beginning of his career Jerry felt called to public service and had a passion for helping… others. He began his professional life as a minister in the Church of Christ, following in the footsteps of 2 of his brothers, and then moved on to roles in social work and economic development for Kentucky and the Purchase Area. He returned to church work at the end of his career serving as Business Administrator for Heartland Church in Paducah until he retired.
As Executive Director of the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce in the early 1980’s he was instrumental in securing public funding for the Paducah McCracken County Convention Center and the Executive Inn hotel which opened on Paducah’s downtown riverfront in 1982. He went on to serve as the Executive Inn’s Sales and Marketing Director for 6 years.
Jerry was the son of the late Floyd Hoover and Sadie Sparks Hoover. He was married to Carol Whitby Hoover who died in 2004. He was previously married to Kathy Harrison Wood. Also preceding him in death are brothers Albert Hoover, Tom Hoover, Kenneth Hoover, and John Hoover.
He is survived by his son, Byron Hoover of Washington, DC, sister Arlene Brown of Henderson, Tennessee, and stepdaughter Robyn Shapiro and stepson Gary Holshouser of Paducah, and several grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, October 4, 2019 at Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah. Burial will follow at Mt. Kenton Cemetery.
Visitation will be held from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm on Thursday, October 3, 2019 and from 10:00 am until the 11:00 am services time on Friday, October 4, 2019 at Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah.
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of donation to: Heartland Church, 4777 Alben Barkley Dr, Paducah, KY 42001 or American Diabetes Association, 2451 Crystal Drive, Suite 900, Arlington, VA 22202 or Leukemia or Lymphoma Society, https://donate.lls.org/lls/donate.
You may leave a message for the family or light a candle at milnerandorr.com.