Eleanor Fay Hood
Eleanor Fay Hood was born October 26th, 1940, in Tampa, Florida. She passed away December 4th, 2022, in Placentia, California, in the company of her family.
Eleanor’s family moved to California when she was 4, where she lived in Fresno and Sacramento. She spent her Jr. High & early High School years in Vancouver, Washington. On returning to California, she graduated from Sacramento High School and attended Sacramento State University.
She met, and later married Elvin Hood in 1960. They lived in Fairfield, California, for 47 years. After raising their two daughters, Denise and Darla, she returned to the workplace, retiring from State of California employment after 22 years of exemplary service.
Eleanor was first and foremost committed to Jesus; to her family & friends; and especially to her husband, Elvin, with whom she shared a ‘forever love’. He says of Eleanor, “No one could be around her for 2 minutes, without being impacted.”
She had a huge heart for God, her Country, learning and the unborn. She always put others first, and her care & generosity touched hundreds, if not thousands of people – truly reaching to the ends of the earth.
Her love of music and for books, brought joy and encouraged education everywhere she went. In every church in which she and Elvin belonged, she was the church pianist and librarian, either starting
libraries or leading the charge to improve existing ones. She spent endless hours perfecting her piano playing, and to research and discover the right materials and resources to best serve her church community. She was a Proverbs 31 kind of lady, for sure.
Eleanor was preceded in death by her parents, Orie & Fay Bower; younger sister, Joyce Bower; mother-in-law, Ellen Blevins; sisters-in-law, Janelle Steen, Ora Mae Brownlee and Nancy Simmons; and brothers-in-law, Loren Davis, Avin Brownlee, Mark Barnes and Everett Harlow.
She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Elvin Hood; children, Denise & Darla, daughter-in-law Michelle Farmer, son-in-law, Tony Checchin; sister, Carol Davis; Dozens of multi-generational nephews and nieces, as well as chosen grandchildren, to include the Nelson children of Fairfield, California and the Segulin children of New Jersey.
All will miss Eleanor’s infectious laugh, chats, profound wisdom, great love, and twinkling blue eyes.
Eleanor’s Celebration of Life service will be held from 11 am to 1 pm on January 28th, 2023, at her home church of many years, First Baptist Church. The address is: 512 First Street, Winters, California.