Mary Hester (Lewis) Looper, 72

DOVER - Mary Hester (Lewis) Looper of Dover died peacefully, on Saturday, July 7, 2007, in Prince George"s Hospital Center, Cheverly, Md., following a lengthy illness. She was 72.

Mrs. Looper was born on Sept. 18, 1934, in Viola.

She grew up in Philadelphia in the loving home of her Uncle Sam and Aunt Charlotte (Lottie) Adams.

Mrs. Looper attended Girls" High School in Philadelphia.

She returned to Delaware at the age of 16, where she met and married her first husband, Frederick Browne Jr.

Mrs. Looper worked for several years at General Foods before retiring.

After retirement, she returned to school and earned a bachelor"s degree in business administration from Delaware State University.

As an alumna, Mrs. Looper was an active member of the Delaware State Boosters" Association.

She was an avid reader and loved to travel throughout the United States, Canada, and the Far East, including Taiwan and Japan.

Mrs. Looper was a devoted and proud mother of six children, six grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

She loved to host family gatherings, especially during the holidays.

Mrs. Looper was kind, generous, compassionate, and tirelessly served God by serving and loving others: family, friends, and strangers

Her vibrant light and zest for life touched the lives of many.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Sarah Adams Lewis and father, Augustave Lewis; four brothers, Lester Adams, Augustus Lewis, Harley Adams, and George Lewis; a sister, Thelma Dixon; first husband, Frederick D.Browne Jr.; and three sons, Frederick Browne, Tyrone E. Browne, and Terrence E. Browne.

She is survived by her husband, Webster H. Looper; daughters, Vanessa S. Browne-Barbour and her husband, Edward, Victoria L. Browne and her husband, Anthony Jones; a son, Cecil R. Browne; sisters, Ethel Thomas Rawls and her husband, Louis and Hazel Quail; grandchildren, Tyronda E. Winchester, Frederick D. Saunders, Dontae L. Conyers and his wife, Marquette, Camille M. Saunders, George Anthony Davis, and Nathaniel J. Barbour; great-grandchildren, Elijah, Devante, Justin, Xavier, Amayia, Kalil, Avante, and Curtis Jr.; and also sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, and a host of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and many other family members who loved and will miss her very much.

Funeral services will be held at noon Saturday in the Bennie Smith Funeral Home, 717 W. Division St., Dover, where friends may call two hours prior to the service.

Burial will be in the Sharon Hills Memorial Gardens.