Hoover was born in Cordova, Alaska. He spent a lot of time as a commercial fisherman, but he was also a ski instructor who painted. However, it was not until he was in his late forties, after he had built a large fishing boat in his backyard that he became inspired to sculpt. From 1960 on, he worked in red cedar to create otherworldly, shamanistic elemental figures whose transformative states from animals to humans (and vice versa) are indicative of his personal search for what comprises, and perhaps, transcends, spirituality. Hoover’s first bronze-cast piece "Seaweed People" was installed in the First Lady’s Sculpture Garden at the White House from 1997 to 1998. Also in 1998, he created a monumental bronze sculpture commission titled "Raven the Creator" for the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Other Anchorage sites that have commissioned his work include the Alaska Native Medical Center and William A. Egan Civic and Convention Center.