Elena L. Looper

Elena L. Looper was born October 6, 1949 to James E. Looper and Lorraine O. Looper in Indianapolis, Indiana. She passed away on Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at the age of 73.

Growing up she was called “Leaney” which was short for Elena. She was very gifted in a lot of things including playing piano for various churches. She accepted Christ at an early age. She was baptized at Greater St. Mark Baptist Church before converting to Catholicism in the 1980’s and was very active in the community and in the lives of her family and friends throughout her life.

She graduated from Arsenal Technical High School at the age of 16 in 1966. She then went to Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in 1970. Elena got her MBA in 1980 from IU Kelly School of Business.

After graduating college, she first went to work for her father doing the accounting for L&L Construction. She later taught at Ivy Tech Community College in their School of Business and Accounting program in which later on she became the head of that department and was instrumental in their move from Washington Street to their present location now.

Elena was briefly married to Cleon Dwayne Jackson and from that marriage they had a daughter, Sherryll L. Looper.

After leaving Ivy Tech Elena opened and ran one of the Primerica Insurance offices in Indiana. She then went to work for the State of Indiana where she was Deputy Commissioner of the Minority Business Development Center and the Small Business Administration. She also had several businesses of her own: Bridge the Gap Consulting Services and The People’s Tax Services.

Elena L Looper passed away on Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at the age of 73. Her father, James E. Looper; mother, Lorraine O. Looper; brothers: Tommy Looper, Harry Looper and Warner Walls; and sister, Sylvia Von Looper Smith all preceded her in death.

She leaves to cherish her memory: daughter, Sherryll Looper; grandson, David Scott Gray Jr.; brother, Walter Kevin Looper; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and several sisters-in-law; a brother-in-law, Arnold Smith; loving family and friends.