He was the most ALIVE person…
~Shared by Alexis Smith Streber~
A dear friend has passed and I didn’t even know he was suffering. He is, and always will be, part of my fabric. I am grateful to have known him but in disbelief that he is no longer walking around on this earth. He was the most ALIVE person. Loud, tall, friendly, confident and so very loving. He was well known in the music industry but I only knew him as a talented photographer, devoted father and loyal friend.
I found out that he passed because of his beloved daughter’s post on FB. I haven’t seen him in 10 years. Too long. Much too long. I have been fighting the sobs and tears for a few days and can only imagine what his family must be feeling. I want to hear his voice and his laugh, but all I can do is remember him and honor him with my vivid memories.
Most of all, I remember his generosity. For the past 17 years, I have his photograph of Garrapata Beach hanging in our living room (that’s 5 different living rooms…). It was a gift. And, I look at it every day. When Vivian was born, he and his wife sent us a beautiful canvas with her name on it — it has been in her room for almost 12 years and will always be the centerpiece. A part of her beautiful fabric.
I am grateful to have known you, Chip Hooper. You will always be a part of our lives and I am not ready to say goodbye. I will cherish every memory I have and thank you from the very bottom of my heart for being my friend. You inspired me to be a strong business woman, devoted mother and, most of all, true to myself.