KILMARNOCK—James Larry Hoover of Kilmarnock died August 21, 2025. Larry was an incredible person who will be missed by many.
Born June 24, 1941, in Roanoke, Larry was one of four children. He is preceded in death by his parents, William and Naomi Hoover; and sister, Cecelia Bradley.
He is survived by his two brothers, Bill Hoover, Jr. of Leesburg and Steven of Roanoke; his close friend, Doug Elliott; adopted son, Petey Bunns; and godchildren, Lauren Elliott and Blayre Gottwald.
Larry graduated from the University of Richmond with a bachelor’s in chemistry and taught at Huguenot and Hermitage high schools. He went on to get his masters and doctorate from Virginia Tech. His career took him from teaching to being an assistant principal at Hermitage and eventually being selected superintendent of schools at Northumberland and Gloucester counties. He was also an adjunct professor at Virginia Tech. Larry was a remarkable educator and recognized on multiple occasions for his outstanding work.
While at Huguenot he started the wrestling program with nothing more than a bunch of misfits that he groomed and quickly built into a championship team. As an ultimate taskmaster he ingrained in the wrestlers and later in others tremendous skills of hard work, sacrifice, perseverance and patience. These learned skills led to incredibly successful careers by so many who had the privilege of “Bear Hoover’s” presence in their lives. Whether he was “Coach” or “Pops” he was always available. His greatest legacy was mentoring them and a significant number of other students.
In his retirement years, Larry was an avid boater, fisherman and reader of American history. He loved all sports, especially golf and Virginia Tech football. He thoroughly enjoyed his Kilmarnock condo and prided himself on its location near the Chesapeake Bay. His beloved dogs, Bandit and Smokey, were always by his side.
Larry will be cremated. A celebration of life service will be held from 3:30-5:30 p.m. September 21 at Hermitage Country Club, 1248 Hermitage Road, Manakin Sabot, VA 23103. Please kindly RSVP to delliottjr@gmail.com. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Salvation Army or Coast Guard Foundation.
