Gina Hooper

Gina Hooper is a highly experienced funeral service professional with approximately 15 years in the death care industry, known for her leadership in operations, education, and workforce development. She is the Founder of Hooper Legacy Services, a comprehensive support organization for funeral homes focused on training, compliance, and strengthening workforce pipelines. Gina holds multiple professional licenses, including Funeral Director, Embalmer, Crematory Operator, Crematory Manager, and Pre Need Sales Agent. Over the course of her career, she has worked in nearly every role within funeral service and has managed a wide range of operations from smaller firms serving approximately 400 families per year to large organizations serving up to 6,000 families annually with teams of nearly 30 staff members. Her expertise is rooted in operational management, leadership development, and building well trained teams capable of serving families with care and professionalism.
Through Hooper Legacy Services, Gina has transitioned from operating the business part time for seven years into a full time commitment aimed at addressing critical gaps in the funeral service profession. Her work centers on workforce development, education, and compliance support for funeral homes. A key initiative includes launching a Funeral Service Assistant Certificate Program in partnership with an adult school in San Mateo County, designed to prepare individuals entering the field with stronger foundational knowledge, increased community support, and a clearer understanding of professional expectations. This effort directly responds to industry challenges such as high turnover where more than 50 percent of funeral directors leave the profession within five years, largely due to burnout, lack of support, and insufficient preparation for the emotional demands of the work.
In addition to her business leadership, Gina is deeply engaged in professional and community organizations. She organizes and leads a local chapter of the Death Care Collective, hosting monthly virtual meetings and quarterly in person gatherings featuring national speakers on topics such as green burial, alkaline hydrolysis, natural organic reduction, and death doula services. She also volunteers with the California Funeral Directors Association, serving on various committees and helping bridge connections between Northern and Southern California professionals to strengthen industry collaboration. Her academic background includes a Master’s degree in Thanatology, a Bachelor’s in Funeral Service Science, and an Associate’s in Psychology and Sociology, along with CPR and AED certification. Her daily work varies widely and may include embalming, cremation operations, family arrangements, compliance inspections, consulting, teaching, and expert witness work in legal cases.
Gina’s motivation for entering the field stems from personal experiences with loss and witnessing inadequate funeral care at a young age, which inspired her commitment to improving standards and supporting grieving families more effectively. She is especially proud of the relationships and professional community she has helped build across the industry, emphasizing collaboration, mentorship, and accessible education over titles or hierarchy. As a single mother to a young daughter, she values balance, resilience, and purpose driven work. Her philosophy centers on community, shared knowledge, and emotional support within a demanding profession, guided by the belief that professionals should commit to a mission not a company and never carry the emotional weight of the work alone.

• Marian University of Fond du Lac - MS
• Cypress College - B.S. in Funeral Service
• Cypress College - AS