Longtime Area Teacher Dies

BROOKSVILLE - There was nothing Juanita Looper couldn't teach.

A former "Teacher Of The Year" for Brooksville's Eastside Elementary School, Looper, 55, was in her 30th year of teaching, after teaching every grade level.

She had a master's degree from University of South Florida and - in her last position as an assessment teacher at Eastside - she served at the "go-to" mentor for the school's staff, with the job of analyzing data and helping teachers understand how to best facilitate tests such as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

"People would go to her for advice," reading teacher Gwen Carpenter said. "She had so much wisdom to impart."

A Brooksville resident, Looper died Sunday at Brooksville Regional Hospital following a brief illness.

While Looper had struggled with health issues in recent years, she worked up until the holiday break began in December and never complained. Her death surprised everyone at school, Carpenter said.

"She just kept coming to work," she said. "I know everyone at our school is going to miss her."

A member of First United Methodist Church of Brooksville, Looper is survived by her husband, Kelvin, a supervisor at Withlacoochee Electric Company, and a 17-year-old son, Chandler, a junior at Hernando High School.

Born in Chicago, Ill., Looper grew up in Tampa, attended USF and later settled in Brooksville, where she met her husband at church. Both her family and his have deep roots in the area, with many relatives nearby.

Carpenter, whose own children had Looper as a teacher in second and fourth grade, described her longtime colleague as a compassionate friend with a witty sense of humor and quick tongue.

"She made comments that were just hilarious," she said. "Someone would say something and she'd just chime in."

Both avid readers, the pair would often eat lunch together and discuss books. Carpenter recalled sharing a recent laugh with Looper over several comments by the late comedian George Carlin, found on a teaching Web site.

"She was just amazing," she said. "She was brilliant, with a depth of knowledge about so much, and had this innate ability to see the big picture. Especially with her (position), she was able to do that and then communicate that information to teachers."

Prior to her current position, Looper worked as a resource teacher, helping struggling kids stay on task.

"She could do just about anything in the field of teaching," Carpenter said.

Looper was an active member of her church. She sang in the choir and was previously involved in hand bells, youth activities and women's bible studies.

Her first cousin, Michelle Hubbs, who lives in North Carolina, described Looper as a "doer."

"She was a go-to gal and a servant," she said. "She served others, and was always there for people, no matter what they needed. She would make food, bring things over, whatever needed to be done."

"She was the most loving, giving person you can imagine," added her cousin, Brooksville resident Beth Ehlers. "There was nothing she wouldn't do for you."

She loved the beach, and often spent weekends going to the beach or the mountains with her husband and son.

Looper is also survived by her parents, Anthony and Joyce Agliano, both of Highlands, N.C., a sister, Leigh Rickard of Tampa; and many other relatives.

A viewing was held Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Merritt Funeral Home, with the funeral scheduled for 1 p.m. today at Lake Lindsay Cemetery in Brooksville.