William Richard “Dick” Hood ’62, Sr., age 83 of Spindale, died Friday, August 2, 2024, at Hospice House in Forest City. Dick as he was known to his family and friends was born on September 2, 1940, in Kingsport, Tennessee and was a son of the late Shelby Burton Hood and Lema Walker Hood.
Dick was a graduate of Carlisle Military Academy in Bamberg, South Carolina and attended Illinois Wesleyan College where he played Division III football and was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. Dick was honored to be recognized along with Mike Ditka as part of the 1960 Sigma Chi All American football team. Dick also served his country honorably in the United States Army.
He was President and owner of Hood Moving and Storage in Hickory for many years until his retirement. Following his retirement, he continued to work as a consultant for other moving and storage companies. He was known to leave the house at 6:00 am with a bag lunch and drive several hundred miles around North and South Carolina doing surveys and estimates only to return late in the evening. He put a LOT of miles on his car.
Moving to Rutherfordton in 1978, he and his wife Joyce joined the Rutherfordton Presbyterian Church where he was active in the church serving on various committees. In 2006, Dick became a Lay Minister in the Presbyterian church and served for three and a half years as the pastor at John Knox Presbyterian Church in Shelby and was currently serving as the pastor at Brittain Presbyterian Church.
Dick was an avid golfer and participated in many local golf tournaments. He also qualified to play in multiple North Carolina and National Senior Games golf tournaments. Dick shot his first and only hole in one on the 4th hole at the West Kilbride Golf Club championship links course in Ayrshire, Scotland. Dick also enjoyed civic activities and was a longtime and active member of the Rutherfordton Lions Club having served in the club’s offices, including as its President. He enjoyed organizing the annual Rutherfordton Lions Club Golf Tournament each year, including this year’s tournament in May, to raise money for the Rutherfordton Lions Club.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother Alex Hood and half-brother Shelby Hood, Jr. as well as a half-sister. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Joyce White Hood of Spindale, North Carolina, his sons, Rick Hood and wife Heather of Westfield, Indiana, Eric Hood and wife Christina of Marietta, Georgia, and Stephen Hood and wife Marcia of Rutherfordton, North Carolina. He has four grandchildren, David Hood, William Hood, Lucas Hood, and Isabelle Hood and several nieces and nephews.
Read Dick’s full obituary here.
