Janet Hooks, a longtime public servant and member of the Memphis Hooks political family, died Tuesday, Oct. 10. She was 70. 

She was elected to the city council in the 1991 city elections and was part of the council’s first Black majority.

She had run for the council in a 1988 special election after her husband, Michael Hooks Sr., vacated the District 4 council seat following his election to the Shelby County Commission that year.

She lost to Rev. Kenneth Whalum Sr.

Hooks remained active in civic groups including pushing for more funding of Memphis City Schools.

Whalum did not seek another term in that seat in the 1991 city elections but instead ran for an at-large or citywide council seat.

Hooks role on the council took full advantage of her organizational skills.

It included detailed reviews of city services that built relationships with city division directors. She undertook a substantive review of evictions and how the belongings of those evicted were set out curbside.

The result was an ordinance that sought to require the boxing of belongings.

Hooks later ran unsuccessfully for Shelby County Clerk and City Court Clerk in 2002 and 2003 respectively.

She resigned from the council in 2005 to take a position in the administration of Mayor Willie Herenton.

Hooks became parks division director in the administrations of interim Mayor Myron Lowery following Herenton’s resignation in 2009 and the administration of Mayor AC Wharton.

With the change in administrations in 2015, Hooks left City Hall after 24 years between her tenure on the council and her time as part of three administrations.

She was called back to government service earlier this year in a role as a special advisor to county clerk Wanda Halbert.

Hooks was selected by the Shelby County Commission to advise Halbert in dealing with chronic problems in the office. And she reported to the commission.

She made several reports to the commission before a special prosecutor was appointed this past July to review how Halbert has run the office.

Hooks’ family, in a news release, remembered her as a skilled cook and an avid reader and devoted member of Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. 

Hooks leaves behind her husband, former Shelby County Commission Chair and County Assessor, Michael Hooks Sr.; a daughter, Kristin Hooks; two sons, Michael Hooks Jr. and Marcus Hooks; a daughter-in-law, Judge Kenya Hooks; and two granddaughters, Morgan and Miranda Hooks; and special second daughter, Tami Sawyer.

Details of a memorial service will be released in the coming days. 

Bill Dries contributed to this story.