Joan Carol Hooks

Joan Carol Hooks, 74, of North Augusta, SC, passed away on July 16, 2025, in Augusta, GA, surrounded by the many tears and love of her family.

I started this obituary as any other, but that was too stoic, so I changed it. Mama loved stories and hers deserves to be told, at least in short form here.

Mama was born on October 6, 1950, in Augusta, GA, to John and Virginia Holley. She grew up in a lively household with five siblings, Sara, Beth, Bob, Susan, and Nellie Mae. 

In 1968, still just a teenager, she found herself in the throes of young love and became pregnant. It wasn’t common or easy in those days, but true to her grit and strength, she chose to keep the baby. That baby was me. 

She later married Marion Thomas "Tommy" Hazel Jr. in 1971 after just 3 months of dating. They had two children together, Tammie and Tres. Mama cooked us 3 meals a day, even when she wasn't sure where those meals would come from. She always welcomed our friends, and many even called her their "second mama." Our house was always full of love, laughter, and people, even in the midst of many things that were heartbreaking. She planned parties, haunted houses, and dances. Daddy preceded her in death in 1997 at his own hand. 

She later found love again when she married Sammie “Sam” William Hooks in 1998, a good, kind man who showed her what love and partnership were meant to be. He showered her with affection, took her on trips and cruises, supported her emotionally, and helped her embrace joy in its simplest forms. He hung on tight, and she did as well, but he also preceded her in death in 2016.

Mama lived a life centered on family, and nothing brought her more joy than a house full of laughter during family get-togethers (as long as you were cooking something she liked). She especially looked forward to the legendary “Cousins Day” each month.

With a needle in one hand and a story on her lips, she found joy in sewing quilts, clothing, and reupholstering furniture. She thrived on projects that filled her life with love and her hands with purpose. I wish I had recorded all the stories she told. Let this be your sign to do it with your parents and grandparents. Ask questions, know their life and stories. It's important. 

She worked many jobs throughout her life: waitressing, caring for others as a CNA, and eventually running a successful upholstery business with her sister. She loved her siblings dearly, and they were all friends. Her true calling was found in being the heart of her family. She was strong, stubborn, sharp-witted, and selfless. 

Mama was a born storyteller. Whether catching up on gossip (and don’t worry, she was keeping up with yours), entertaining grandkids with make-believe tales, or reminiscing about her past, she made every story come alive. Family meals were never just about food; they were about the stories. We’d gather around the table and laugh until our sides hurt. (Now, who’s going to keep us informed on all the family tea?) We’ll miss hearing about the “ragman” she ran from, and the “goat-man” she ran to; about Aunt Beth getting knocked out by a shovel while grave hunting in a graveyard; Nellie Mae biting peoples ears till they bled, Aunt Susan pitching fits, Uncle Bob stealing nickels; Aunt Sara lovingly caring for patients; and me, apparently passing out meds as a toddler. Shhh... things were different back then!

Mama lived her life out loud, with grit, generosity, and deep love. She had a tough exterior and a quick wit that earned her the affectionate family nickname “Madea.” You always knew where you stood with her, and she offered her advice whether you wanted it or not. However, beneath that was a heart so big, she would give away her last dollar if she thought it could help someone in need, even if she knew she might be taken advantage of. Her compassion was unwavering. 

There’s just not enough space here to tell all the love my mama held for us and others. 

Mama is preceded in death by her parents, John and Virginia Holley, and her sisters, Beth Stringfield, Susan Hutchins, and Nellie Mae Holley, grandchild, Vicki Queen, great-grandchildren, Rowan Hogan, and Harper Nicole Fredo. Losing Mama has made my heart see how very heavy hers must have been in losing her own parents, siblings, spouses, and best friends. 

She is survived by her children Melony Kolody (Timothy), Tammie England, and Marion Thomas "Tres" Hazel III (Paige); her siblings Sara Lieb and Robert Holley; her grandchildren Miranda Stevens, Miriah Fredo (Dominic), Timothy Hogan (Janis), Tyler Hogan, Camryn England, Brittany Hazel, Kayla Pinkney-Pettiford (Christian), Chad Queen, and Katelynn Queen; and her great-grandchildren Hagen Hudson, Liam Hogan, Elsie Fredo, and Sora Pinkney-Pettiford, as well as her brother-in-law, Roy Stringfield. None of us had enough time with her.

Family events just won't be the same without her, who will cook the hash now, who will fix the collards that no one else could match? I've tried, they just aren't the same. 

To honor Mama in a way that she would love, on Saturday, July 19, 2025, a casual memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m., with visitation beginning at 2:00 p.m. There will be no pomp and circumstance or long songs and preaching. She loved Jesus, and I have no doubt she’s now in Heaven, pain-free, and giving God advice, but she’d suffered a lot under “Men of God” and she would prefer just a gathering of family and friends.

I’d love it if you came with your best stories of your life with my mama. Tammie, Tres, and I, as well as her grandchildren, want to hear them.

Visitation and Memorial will be held at Platt’s Funeral Home on Crawford Avenue. Burial will follow at Bellevue Memorial Gardens. We will miss her presence, her stories, her sass, and her love, but Mama's legacy lives on in her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren as well as every stitch of a handmade quilt, every laugh shared at a family table, and every heart she touched with her fierce love. We will all miss her so much.