Dorothy R. (Poracky) Hoover

Dorothy R. Hoover (nee Poracky) 95 of Valparaiso, formerly of Whiting, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, February 28, 2023. Loving mother of Mary Ruth (Paul) Kacmarik, Kathy (Gregory) Bobos and the late Charles Hoover, Sr.; cherished grandmother of Steven (Kristi) Kacmarik, David (Ashley) Kacmarik, Gregory Bobos, Charles (Ruth) Hoover, Jr. and Chris (Erika) Hoover; adoring great grandma of Jonathan, Madison, Caden, Ian, Chris, Jr., Liana, Lucy and Benjamin; dearest aunt to many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by four sisters, Ann Vrabel, Leona Zientara, Emma Pers and Mary Macnak and two brothers, Dr. Bernard Poracky and Andrew Poracky.

Visitation on Saturday morning, March 4, 2023 from 9:00am until time of services at 10:30am at the Baran Funeral Home, 1235-119th St., Whiting; a Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11:00am at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Whiting, with the Rev. Mark R. Peres, C.PP.S., officiating; interment to follow at St. John Cemetery, Hammond. The Mass of Christian Burial for Dorothy will be live streamed at www.stjohnbap.org.  Expressions of sympathy may be placed on-line at www.baranfh.com.

Dorothy Hoover was born on May 5, 1927 in Whiting, Indiana, the youngest child of John Karl and Mary (Skurka) Poracky of the Poracky Grocery Store in Whiting.  She was a very devoted member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Whiting where she was a member of the Rosary Society, Adult Choir, St. John Drama Club/Marian Theatre Guild and was a past officer of the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Assoc., BR. 81. A graduate of Whiting High School, Class of 1945 she went on to study at Indiana University and studied voice at the American and Chicago Conservatories of Music. She had a great  love of music and had sung with the St. John Adult Choir for 58 years. Dorothy had a beautiful soprano voice and was a soloist for many Christmas Eve Services, weddings and parties. Active in the Drama Club/MTG, singing leading roles in Meet Me In St. Louis, Pirates of Penzance, Follies, Song of the Immigrant, Anything Goes and her most memorable performance as Mother Abbes in the 1979 production of the Sound of Music, noted as her ”Tour de Force” performance by the Hammond Times. She was a retiree of LTV Steel, East Chicago with a service of 23 years and was a former employee of the University of Chicago and Lever Bros. Devoted to her family, Dorothy will be sadly missed by all who knew and loved her. The family extends heartfelt thanks to those who sent cards and flowers, called and visited and to the caring staff at Avalon Springs, Valparaiso. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the St. John Organ Fund or to the St. Joseph Church Soup Kitchen, Hammond would be appreciated.  

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