Sophie Mary Hoover

Sophie Mary Wiecinski Hoover died on May 17, 2023. She was 61 years old. Sophie grew up in Hammond, Indiana. She was extremely proud of her Polish heritage. Her parents both survived a Nazi prison in Germany. They came to the United States in 1950.

Sophie spent her career as a middle school math and social studies teacher for 27 years. She worked in the finance department of the United States Embassy in Canberra, Australia from 2012-2014. Her last job was at Ho'okele Elementary School in Hawaii supporting the special education department. She loved marching band and was drum major for Bishop Noll High School. She continued playing clarinet in college and enjoyed Drum Corps International competitions. Sophie met her husband Warren “Jay” in college. They married and moved to Laurel, Maryland in 1985.

She was generous with her time, singing in church choir, playing music for community theaters, volunteering with the Girl Scouts, teaching religious emblem classes, and shopping for food drives.

Sophie was a lifelong fan of the Chicago Cubs and was thrilled to celebrate their World Series victory in 2016. Her favorite band was Chicago, and she attended a dozen of their concerts. She loved going to the movies and live theater. She was an adventurous traveler. She once took a helicopter tour to see a volcanic eruption. She especially enjoyed seeing the ocean and was able to visit many beaches around the world.

Her passions included her faith and family. She enjoyed cooking, especially bigos. Her inner child always loved Snoopy and the Peanuts gang. She was always ready to help a friend or even strangers.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Zenon and Halina Wiecinski, and her siblings, Elizabeth, unnamed boy, and Tony Wiecinski. She is survived by her husband Jay and their children, Karen and Kevin (Jenni), her sister Barbara, and her brother Richard (Melissa).

Rather than flowers, request donations to Saint Mary of the Mills Food Pantry, 114 Saint Mary's Place, Laurel, MD, 20707.