Remembering Tom Hoover

Back in October 2017, I submitted a Letter to the Editor speaking about Tom Hoover and how it was very nice someone had taken the steps to recognize Tom for his accomplishments and his dedication to the Poplar Bluff Community especially his prior work with any Poplar Bluff Mules sporting events.

After this was published, Tom approached me and asked me, "Alright, who paid you to write that letter?" I told him it was my pleasure to write it. He stuck out his hand to shake mine. I grabbed his hand and even then could tell he was not 100 percent.

A few weeks ago, I arrived at the stadium to PA the Mules football opener against Sumner. As I got out of my truck, I saw him standing across the road walking towards me. I walked across the road and met him. His first words were, "Did you retire?" I said, no, why? He said he had not seen any more letters in the paper. I just chuckled at him and again he stuck his hand out to shake mine. I grabbed his hand very gently because I could see he was very weak. I asked him how he was doing and he said he was not doing very well. He said if he is not sleeping, he is in his recliner for about 20 hours a day. He also told me his head was beginning to bother him so he was going home. I told him to take care and I will be praying for you. His last words to me were, "Thanks, I will need it." Tom Hoover passed away Thursday.

I will miss seeing him at the many sporting events around the area. He was always a mainstay for Mules Athletic events.

As I stated last October he was a walking statistical guru for Mules athletics from long ago until now. He was quite the athlete himself. Basketball was his sport and he was very good at it.

I will miss his sense of humor, which some might think was dry but you had to know Tom. You had to learn to take him with a grain of salt. One of his best sayings during a basketball game to the officials was, "He's been doing it all day," talking about the fouling of players.

However, most of all, I will miss his passion for the game. He joked, but was very serious about his work ethic. He wanted a clean area, precise statistics and this is something he made sure was accomplished. He did not take any gruff from anyone and stood his ground when he knew he was right. I never knew him as Mr. Hoover but I will always remember him as Tom.

I would like to end this with the following verse out of Romans 14:7-9:

"Fornone of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then,whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christdied and lived again, that he might be Lord bothof the dead and of the living."

Susan, God Bless you and the family. He was a one-of-a-kind type of person who had many friends. Again, I will truly miss working with him but most importantly, I will miss seeing him and visiting with him. When I was doing the Raiders on the radio, he would come up by me and sit and we would talk. He always wanted to help in some sort of way, which was highly appreciated. Oh yeah, and I know he loved his LSU Tigers.

Be with God my friend... God Bless Everyone.

-- Roger Burton

Poplar Bluff