Gary Kyle Hood

Dr. Gary Kyle Hood, 83, passed away 31 January 2023, with his family by his side. Gary was born November 27, 1939, in Marlow, Oklahoma. Gary's family migrated to Tulare, California during the Great Depression. After Graduation from Tulare Union High School in 1957, Gary enlisted in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman. Upon Completion of his enlistment, he enrolled at the College of the Sequoias where he was the student body president. Following his brothers, Don and Charles, to Abilene, Texas he enrolled at Abilene Christian University graduating in 1964 with a Bachelor of Education. After teaching in New York for several years he returned to Abilene to earn a Master's in counseling and guidance in 1967. During that time, he met his wife of 30 years, Wanda. Gary completed his doctorate in educational counseling in 1974 from the University of North Texas. After graduation, he took a position at Laredo State University where he helped develop the university's counselor educator program. In 1980, he and the Hood family moved to Huntsville, Texas where he served the education community as a counselor educator at Sam Houston State University until 2016. In 2000 Gary married his loving wife, Deborah. Together they taught, traveled the world, entertained many, and filled the world with music and vivacious laughter and energy. Gary was committed to building a more loving world. In addition to his profession as a counselor educator, he was a song leader and bible class teacher at the Church of Christ and First Christian Church of Huntsville, as well as serving in a prison ministry where he would lead services and sing as well as a variety of other ministries in the area. He was known by many as the man who would sing, "The Impossible Dream," a song fitting for many of life's most difficult problems; "to dream and to fight for the right without question or pause." Gary was also a lifelong actor, athlete, and adventurer. Always on the move, he traveled the world, visited family, hiked the Appalachian trail, and forests of multiple continents, saw the world's great capitols, boxed, ran, wrestled Dan Gable, flew in a CH 53 helicopter, marched in President Eisenhower's inaugural parade, acted in New York, was forever the handsome leading man, sang the national anthem at professional sporting events, and never turned down a chance to do something interesting. He is survived by his loving wife of 22 years, Deborah; his children Kyle, and his wife Zhenya; Caleb and his wife Brooke; Joshua and wife Kristen, Erin, Serena, Skyla and her husband Nick, a loving blend of two families; his grandchildren, Alexandra, Cameron, Phoebe, Eleanora, Georgia, Dane, Elyse, Sadie, and Scarlett. He is preceded in death by his parents, Omer Hardy and Madie Belle Hood and his beloved wife, Wanda. Visitation will be held at First Christian Church of Huntsville on Saturday, February 11, 2023 from 10:00 - 11:00am. His memorial service will be held at First Christian Church of Huntsville from 11:00 - 12:00pm. Memorial condolences to the family may be made to www.shmfh.com.

Gary Kyle Hood

November 27, 1939 - January 31, 2023